Commuting Cyclist Blog

2012-02-13T10:59:00.001-08:00

So far we’ve had very mild winter temperatures. This weekend, however, we had a cold blast that came down from Canada and dropped our temperatures to below freezing. I think yesterday’s high was around 31 and Saturday was a little bit colder. Thus, I left my bike outside rather than in the comfort of my garage to try an experiment.

This morning (temp 25 degrees) I rode it after it sat outside the whole weekend and it shifted fine. I had a prior problem with the Nexus 7 that seemed to not shift during prolonged subfreezing temperatures. For the Nexus 7, the indicator showed that I had downshifted or upshifted, but the gear inside the hub did not move. I can only attribute this to subfreezing temperatures since it shifted fine when things warmed up. Maybe the Nexus 7 uses a more liquid-type grease in there (?). So count this as an advantage for the Nexus Alfine.

I realize that our cold temperatures are laughable to some of you in colder climes, but there you go. Maybe if average temps are the in the teens or single digits, it could affect the Alfine, but we haven’t gotten those this year. And, I don’t know if I would have any desire to ride in that kind of weather, lol.

Paid $60 for this Dahon on Craigslist!

2011-11-28T08:26:00.001-08:00

Picked up this Dahon Vitesse 3 speed on CL recently. It was actually $100, but the guy threw in his El Bolso bag with it. The El Bolso hadn’t even been used! Well, I sold the El Bolso for $40. Thus, my net for the Dahon was $60. I don’t know what I’ll do with another bike, but at this price I couldn’t pass it up. I’ll post a review later.

Another Dollar Store Find.

2011-09-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

Found this at the Dollar Tree. Anyone who commutes in an urban area could really use this air horn. I carry one of these by mask taping it to my handlebar. When you’ve expended all the air, just tear it off and do it again. Masking tape leaves very little, if any, sticky residue. Or you could always carry it on our waist or backpack. Also, helpful to scare away dogs. For $1, it’s a steal.

Re-lubing, Re-conditioning the Downtube front suspension fork.

2011-07-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

As I posted earlier, I found that my stock downtube 8H front fork did not have as much travel as my Full suspension downtube. I ended up buying an earlier downtube front fork from J. Monti. It did have more travel. The fork worked well, but I could detect a little grittiness coming from the fork as I bounced it up and down.

So, I undertook this project to recondition, or relube, the front fork so it could have freer up/down play. Tools needed:
*Socket extension bar (I think mine is 9” or 10”)
*5mm socket
*Cheap Automobile grease (I used Coastal hi-temp grease)
*Skintight nitrile or other surgical type gloves (to keep your hands clean)

It is a straightforward job. You undo the Vbrakes, remove the wheel. Remove the protective caps on the top of the suspension fork. Insert the socket extension until you feel yourself gripping the screw head. Then, just turn counterclockwise. The fork will separate from the bottom part when you fully loosen the screws. And, the bottom fork bars will slide down.

As you hold the bottom part of the fork, turn it over. The springs will come out. There are some rubber (?) inserts/bushings at the top and bottom of the springs (see pix).That’s pretty much it.

As I suspected, the springs were dry. Some dirt may have penetrated there contributing to that gritty feeling. I lightly cleaned the springs with a cloth. You can be anal and dip the springs in gasoline or some other solvent, but I didn’t do that. Then, I just liberally slogged the grease on the springs all over. I guess the springs looked like tree branches after freezing rain (only with grease not ice). Then, I dropped the springs in the bottom part of the fork, connected it to the top part, and rescrewed. Finally, attach the wheel and brakes.

Much better. I now have a front fork that “gives” much better than it used to. This is a job you can do if you want more play or, I guess, if you have too much play, you can remove some excess grease and dry up your front fork a little. I was afraid that there would be some sort of complicated spring mechanism that I would have trouble putting back together. It was nothing like that.

This guide doesn’t have to be limited to DT bikes, but other MTB-type bikes esp. with cheap suspension forks. You’d just need a longer extension (maybe) or a different size socket.

Folding bike at COSTCO!

2011-06-28T10:54:00.001-07:00

Spotted this folding bike yesterday when I was at the COSTCO. This model looks like those old Hummer/Montague folding bikes of yesteryear. Price was $399.99 USD. Bike had 26” wheels and had an impressive looking air rear suspension. It is also equipped with disc brakes and front suspension. I noticed that the rear derailleur was “Altus”. Model of the bike was “Cam Rock”. The box said the company was “Kent Bicycles”, which are not known for providing quality bikes. COSTCO usually stands by their products so perhaps this is different.

Anyway, I got excited to see a folding bike at a well-known retailer like COSTCO.

A Request for Bike Tube Manufactures: Put the Seams Away from the Center!

2011-04-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

I've repaired my share of flats in my day and 9 times out of 10, the puncture is at the center of the tube. And, it's usually right next to the joining raised seam of the rubber tube. For repairing a flat, you have to ground down the area around the hole with that mini scraper. With the puncture next to the seam, it makes it harder to grind away most of the raised joining seam. Sometimes I've had unsuccessful flat repairs because I didn't prep (i.e. grind down the seam) the area around the hole enough.

I was wondering why bike tube manufacturers don't put this seam on the sides or at another place where punctures don't usually happen. Or, how about putting the seam on the inside of the tube (and inverted seam tube!)? I don't know if this is even possible with bike tubes but I thought I'd post about my gripe.

Best shoes for casual riding: Leather and cheap.

2011-03-07T09:08:00.001-08:00

As I’ve mentioned, I don’t clip in anymore. My short trips and urban riding make it much easier to just wear everyday shoes and platform pedals. That usually means dress shoes for commuting to my subway stop. Or nicer, dress casual shoes for dress-down days.

When I do errand running or long weekend rides, I tend to wear tennis shoes. These shoes most always feature leather uppers. It’s amazing what kind of hits and dings your feet take when biking. When stopped, I tend to rotate my pedals to a 1 to 3 o’clock position. This enables me to pedal off quickly when I have to go. I bring up my pedals with the top of my shoes to get to this position. Jagged or sharp platform pedals can scuff your shoes as you do this. Using shoes make of synthetic materials i.e. running shoes means that they will scuff quickly and could tear. Try to go for leather uppers instead. I prefer them to be white in color. Darker colors tend to heat up quicker in the sun.

I’ve found that leather tennis shoes are really great in cutting out the scuffs and dings. And, there are so many manufacturers of these types of tennis shoes that it’s easy to find them relatively cheap. I think I bought the two shoes in the pix at Marshalls or Ross discount apparel stores. I just picked up the Fila’s at the top for $19.99 (!). Read the label on the inside of the tongue to make sure you get leather uppers. Manufacturers are legally required to put the content of their shoes on the tongue. There are many shoes that look like leather, but in reality are synthetic.

Falling is easier on a folding bike.

2011-02-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

Add the above to the benefits of riding a folding bike. This morning I took a tumble over some black ice. I went around this little puddle, which I could see was glazed at the top. Turns out that the radius of ice surrounding the pond was greater than I thought. I went around it and my Brompton fishtailed from under me. I landed on my hands ok. My only scrape was my back heel, which was probably caught under one of pedals. Did not tear any of my clothing and my gloves didn’t even get wet.

I was not going that fast so that probably helped. I’m thinking that the small dimensions of my bike allowed me to straddle over it enough to land on my hands. Also, the small wheels probably keep you closer to the ground. I keep thinking that if I was on my full size bike, it would have been a bad fall. I think I could have ended up on my side with a bruised shoulder or maybe even a broken collarbone.

Anyway, I’m glad I’m ok and will give such puddles plenty of clearance in the future. Be safe out there.

Rolling On The Floor Laughing (ROTFL).

2011-01-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

Downtube front fork swap out.

2010-12-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned this in one of my earlier posts that the 2009.5 Downtubes have a different front suspension fork that earlier ones. You can tell because there seems to be less travel in the new fork than the old ones. If you look at some pictures of new DT bikes, the shiny inner part of the fork seems to be a few centimeters shorter than the older ones. I like my bike to have a cushy front fork (i.e. more travel).

After a long search, I found a guy that had a front fork from an old Downtube (Thanks, Joseph Monti!). I paid $35 for his fork shipped. In addition, it’s kinda hard to find compatible forks for Downtube. They have to be 1 1/8” diameter and threaded. And, as I understand it, all threads are not alike. They’re supposed to be standard, but I’ve heard of some threads that do not match. I asked some LBS guys about buying a non-threaded fork and have them “cut” threads for one. They were wary about the threads matching and recommended against this.

Sure, you can buy a new fork on the DT site, but I was afraid I’d get one of the newer lesser suspension forks. After I got it, I immediately compressed it by hand on my floor and was confident it would work because it ‘gave’ way more than the old one. (BTW, Downtube has some fancy suspension adjustable forks on their site, but they are about $1K. That’s more than a new Downtube bike!)

The swap was fairly straightforward since everything matched. It was more time-consuming to move the brakes to the new fork and dial those in. The result: yes, my DT does have more cushiness, but some of the grease inside this replacement fork may have dried up. It could be better. Also, the color of the fork is dark blue so it doesn’t match my red bike (minor negative). I’ll probably have to take the fork apart and relube it. That will be a subject of a future post.

Brompton Assembly Video.

2010-11-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

Recorded this snippet from a TV show on how the Brommie is made. Pretty cool stuff.

Brommie Assembly. from jo dimes on Vimeo.

Cateye Vectra Wireless Speedometer Quickie Review

2010-11-11T20:17:00.000-08:00

I ran this Cateye Vectra first on the Brompton then on the Downtube. I bought it in February 2009 and just recently it started messing up. I could hear the magnet clicking on every turn of the wheel, but it would not register as a revolution on the main unit. At first I thought it was the battery so I replaced that (both on the main unit and the wheel sensor). That didn’t solve the problem.

I thought maybe that my cell phone was interfering with the signal transmission, but a few rides without my cell proved that theory wrong. I finally figured out that the unit had to be closer to the wheel sensor. The main unit needed to be nearer about an extra three to six inches. I don’t know why this Cateye started putting out a weaker signal all of a sudden.

Needless to say I couldn’t bring the unit closer to the wheel sensor unless I brought the handlebars down considerably. Or, install some 12” wheels on the Downtube, ha-ha.

I can’t recommend this Cateye Vectra. It lasted about 1 year and 8 months. Cateye supposedly makes good quality units. It was pricey, too. MSRP is/was $40 but I paid $35 for it on sale.

Primo Comet Tires on Downtube 8H.

2010-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

I was getting a little tired of the sluggishness from the Kenda Kwests that came with the Downtube 8H so I picked up some Primo Comet tires. These tires have gotten some good reviews on the Bikeforums community. They are smooth tire with just a very slight line pattern.

Yes, the tires are a big improvement over the Kendas, but I wouldn’t say it is like night and day in terms of change. The tires roll better than the Kendas, but I still detect a little hugging or grippishness (is that a word?) of the road. I think they could be a little nimbler. Another positive for the Primo comets are that they are 100psi tires. This is probably what makes them roll better than the Kendas. The Kendas max out at 60psi.

A caveat is in order, though. I continued the pattern of having a fatter tire in the back vs. the thin one in the front. The Kendas were 20x1.75” rear tire vs. 20x1.5” in the front. The Primos I went with are 1.90” for the rear tire vs. 1.50” for the front.

Why did I do this? I guess I “drank the koolaid” in that Downtube puts a wider tire in the rear for various reasons. I quote from the DT site:

Q Why do you have different front and rear tires on some models?
A This is one of the best features of our bikes. Note the forces on the front wheel are push based, and pull based on the rear. Pushing is "harder" than pulling, hence more energy is wasted up front. Hence we thinned the front tire. Additionally, the seat tube is angled back more weight is distributed towards the rear of the bike. Hence we put a wide rear tire for traction. This configuration is highly efficient, and very safe.

I believe some other bicycle experts also have recommended this, maybe even the late Sheldon Brown, but I’m not 100% sure on that.

Maybe I should have just kept a 1.5” Primo comet in the back (?). In addition, I couldn’t find a 1.75” Primo comet tire for the rear. The next closest size was 1.90” so I went with that. Maybe I installed too fat of a tire.

Another surprise is the weight of these tires vs. the Kendas. I weighed the Primos and the front one weighed 12.5 oz and the rear weighed 20oz. Both of these tires weigh just a little over 32oz, or 2 lbs, together. The Kendas weigh right around 1 lb each. The front Kenda tire was just a smidgen lighter than the rear. Therefore, you’re getting better performing and higher PSI tires for the same weight.

Bottom line: a nice upgrade over the Kenda Kwests, but still could be better. The best rolling tire I have found for a small wheeled bike is the yellow tag Brompton brand stock tires. Those roll very well and are 100psi tires.

Tag: Primo comet tire review.

Bike locker.

2010-09-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d post a pix of my bike locker. I’ve been renting out this bike locker from our transit authority. Cost is $87/year (although they are going to jack up the price to $200+ due to budget shortfalls). The locker is right on my subway stop. Thus, all I do is ride to my stop, put the bicycle in the locker, lock it up and get on the subway. Also, the space in the locker is like a triangle. You are supposed to “back in” your bike (handlebars will be towards the front).

Great things about a bike locker:
-Bike is protected from the elements
-You can commute in an expensive bike w/o fear of it being stolen
-You can leave expensive lights, speedo, and other pricey accessories on the bike w/o fear of them being ripped off (literally). See my earlier post: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2008/12/wanton-vandalism.html

Cons:
-Yearly cost. Ok, nothing in life is free.

-My bikes are "average" sized so they fit fine in the locker. However, if you have a large-sized bike I think that they may be too tall for this particular locker style.
-Spiders and other insects seem to like living in adjacent lockers and sometimes hang out in mine.

The first photo is my own bike locker when I rode the brompton one day. The second is a picture I found when I googled the phrase "bike locker". It is the exact same model as mine. I can also fit the brompton (folded) and a regular size bike in one locker.

Cars slow down. Bikes don't have to.

2010-08-26T10:21:00.001-07:00

My fair city/county (Arlington, VA) has got these neat speed bumps that have 2 grooves for bikes to go through. This is a great idea! The one I posted in my pix below is on a downhill, so I especially zoom down this incline.

I don’t think cars can cross the double yellow line in order to bypass these bumps (both wheels over the cut-outs). My neighbor told me that the local cops were ticketing cars that were doing this (I haven’t seen this). Rather, they should let the left wheel take the cut-out and right wheel go over the bump (on their side of the road). Hooray for traffic calming!

Upgrades to Downtube 8H.

2010-07-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hey all. Wanted to post a picture of some upgrades I’ve done to the Downtube 8H and explain them. Really enjoying the bike thus far. No problems yet. Still looking for a replacement front fork. Like I mentioned before, the Zoom fork doesn’t give as much as I’d like. It’s more of a road dampener.

Here’s the pix and what I’ve done.

New front ring: Ended up swapping out the front ring for a 38T ring (it came with a 46T front ring). I think the stock gearing on the 8H is a little high. There are some steep hills in my area that I need some help with in the form of a lower gear. If I lived in a flat area, I wouldn’t have done this upgrade.

Chainguard: You know I use my bikes for commuting in dress pants and khakis. Thus, I consider a chainguard a necessity. The stock 8H comes with a bashguard chain cover ring, that is ok. But as you ride your bike, the wind WILL whip your pants into the chain giving you some stains. The chainguard eliminates these problems. The chainguard brand is SKS. It fits front rings up to 40T. Also, the rear part of the chainguard expands and contracts so you can adjust it to fit. Also, you have to remove the bottom bracket to loop this chainguard around the front part.

Fenders: As I mentioned, the 8H comes with a rear fender only. And, the stock fender gives you 25% or so in coverage for the rear wheel. In the rain, this will give you some coverage, but not as good as a 50% coverage fender. I got that in the Planet bike 20” recumbent fender. The front fender is a Planet bike 20” front-wheel recumbent fender. The Planet bike fenders also have a very cool looking rubber slightly upraised flaps at the ends.

Pedals: Swapped the stock Wellgo folding pedals for some BMX-type pedals. The pedals are slightly lighter in weight (they are clear hard plastic) than the Wellgos and are wider which gives you more area to put your dogs on them. They also have upraised nubs that give you traction.

Rear rack: I took off the stock rack because it rides too low and close to the rear wheel. This causes heel strike if you use side pannier bags (which I often do). I installed an old “Performance Bike” rack that rides higher and eliminates the heel strike problem. I had to bend the rack extensions somewhat. A plus for the 8H is that it has plenty of holes to add another kind of rack. In a way, I hated to do this upgrade because the stock rack is custom designed for the 8H and is very aesthetically pleasing.

Reflective strips: Added some reflective strips for nighttime visibility. Although you can’t tell from the picture, the strips are red. The camera flash made it look a different color. I got these strips on ebay. They are plentiful there in all the colors you can think of. Shipping is low for most of these reflective strips since sellers can just put them in an envelope and ship them to you for the price of a stamp. I may have paid $2-3 total for these strips and had some left over.

That’s about it. Let me know if you see an old Downtube front suspension fork. I'm looking for one.

Keeping Your Toes Protected in Summer: Keen Newport Sandals

2010-06-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

8/14/10 Update. I've gotta pull my recommendation of these sandals. The reason: foot odor. Mind you I don't have a foot odor problem, but my feet smell with these sandals. The inner soles say "anti odor anatomic footbed" but that doesn't prevent my problem. I don't understand why since these Newports are pretty well ventilated. The only time I've had a foot odor problem was when I wore some waterproof (and non ventilated) Rockport shoes. My feet got really hot in those, which caused the foot odor after a while. Since I didn't buy these at REI, I'll have to keep them. I'll wear them while bicycling, but I'll try not to walk with them so much.

Summer's here and I doing more casual riding. By this I mean going to the grocery store, ATM machine, ice cream or coffee shop. I had been doing this with my running sneakers, but when you ride in the summer your feet can get hot quickly. This made me look for some sandals so I could get some air circulation/coolness in my feet. However, all the sandals I saw provided inadequate protection for my toes.

Basically, all sandals "expose" your toes. They all come with some straps around the other parts of your feet to keep them in place. And, I'm not about to wear flip flops because they look and feel flimsy. I'm kinda sensitive to protecting my toes since I severely mashed my "index" toe while riding a cruiser with flip flops as a kid.

I was familiar with Keen Newports but I had dismissed them a few years ago because they were a little fugly. I never saw them as a biking shoe/sandal. As I thought more protecting my toes, the only sandals that seemed to offer what I was looking for were the Keen Newports. They have this really strong rubber toe box/cap, which I like. The sandals offer plenty of cross ventilation. They look very well made as their stitching looks strong.

The negatives I have with them are that: 1) they're still not that strong in the looks department, 2) The insoles are hard; I wish they had cushier, softer insoles and 3) they're slightly heavier than your basic sandals. There are some reviews out there that say that Keen Newports are the most comfortable sandals ever made. I wouldn't go that far, though.

Anyway, if you're looking for some summer sandals that can protect your toes while biking, I would consider the Keen Newports. (Tag: Review of Keen Newport Sandals)

Avoid This Cheap Chinese Speedometer

2010-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I come across an apparently smoking deal on a bike item. Knowing how expensive bike stuff is generally, I usually jump on these deals just to save a few bucks. Such was the case when I found out about this Speedometer from Meritline and/or Dealextreme.

I think I paid about $4 shipped (from Hong Kong, I think), for this speedo. Meritline/Dealextreme will often offer % off codes like SAVE10 or SAVE20 for an additional percentage off.

For 2-3 months or so, it worked well. It had an annoying habit of cycling through a variety of functions like cadence, distance, time etc. That was ok since all I care about is tracking of my mileage.

Then, the problems began. First, the display would fade when I left the bike out in hot sunny days. In addition, the rain would somehow penetrate the display and you could see water beading inside it. To dry it out, you had to leave it out in the sun (!). I bought 2 more units and I figured I could swap one out when one needed to dry out. With about $12 invested, I figured it was a fair tradeoff. Wrong. All the units developed the same problem. Pretty soon, they all stopped working. After a few months, I had no more reserve units.

Below is a link for this product (which may be defunct by the time you read this)

http://www.meritline.com/14-function-bicycle-lcd-odometer-speedometer---p-35788.aspx?source=s2010

I can’t believe how cheap it is to ship something from the Far East. I’m sure the cost for the labor and parts for this unit must run in the pennies with the rest of the balance being the cost for shipping. Welcome to the global economy!

Moral of the story: Get yourself a nice branded speedometer/trip computer like a Cateye from a bike shop. You won’t regret it.

Can A Folder Make It As An Everyday Commuter? Review of Downtube 8H

2010-05-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

That is the question. The answer: we’ll see.

Ok, I’m transitioning to this Downtube 2009.5 8H as my everyday commuter. That means I’m selling the Novara, which is a great bike but it’s a little too big for me (sniff-sniff). Anyway, I bought this 8H for 3 reasons: it’s lightweight (26.5 lbs), has a front suspension fork and an IGH.

I’m intrigued by commuting on a light(er) bike and seeing if that makes any difference in my speed and tiredness (or lack of it). A lighter bike, and in this case a folder, may wear down quicker as it piles up the miles, though. We shall see.

In terms of the front supension fork, I sought out a bike with this type of fork because of my non traditional commute where I drop curbs, cut through parking lots and generally have more of an urban assault commute rather than a pastoral bike path ride through the countryside. You know my fondness for IGHs on bikes so I won’t go into that here. The 8H seems to have all these covered.

I’ve got about 50 miles on this bike and here are my likes and dislikes.

Agility: I guess I knew this from riding my Dahon Yeah and Brompton, but these small 20” wheeled bikes make a difference in making quick direction changes and avoiding obstacles on your ride. This is a definite plus. There are a couple of times on my commute where I have to cut in and out of this heavily trafficked street and the small wheels help as I dart in and out.

Fitability: Not sure if that is a word, but you can adjust this bike to fit you more than other folding bikes. The front stem slides up and down. I think you can invert the handlebars in if you are stretched out too much (I have not done this, but I know this could be helpful for some shorter people I know). The handlebars are adjustable so you can tilt them up for a more upright ride or down for a more MTB like position. I heard some people complain that they could not ride a Brompton because they felt somewhat cramped. A DT should be better in this regard.

Ride: Like my first Downtube full suspension, this bike provides a very stable ride. Not sure if the bike has a longer wheelbase and whether that has something to do with it, but the ride is not twitchy like the Brompton.

IGH: The Sturmey Archer 8FR is a solid IGH thus far. Not as good as the Alfine on the Novara, but still good. The Alfine allows you to downshift while pedaling, while this one does not, for example. The range is plenty adequate. In terms of the stock gearing, the bike is a little too high geared for me. I live in a hilly area so I try to have a bike with a low gear so I can tackle the hills here. I’m thinking of swapping out the front ring for a smaller one.

Front fork: This is my major dislike of the bike. I was expecting a more mushy front suspension fork (like on my other Downtube FS), but this one is different. It is a Zoom transarch adjustable fork. That means you can turn a screw in it and it should give you a cushy suspension or a stiffer one. The problem is that setting it at its cushy setting causes it to bottom out. I’ve played with the various settings and I still can’t get it to “give” the way I like it (and rebound back). Putting it at midrange or stiff gives a little bit of give, but not at what I would like (there’s no bottoming out at midrange or stiff). If the bike came with an identical preloaded Zoom fork like my first Downtube, I would not give this a negative.

I’ve already emailed Yan Lyansky (owner of Downtube) about this and he suggested that I send it in for warranty repair. I won’t do this, because I think that the fork works as intended and would probably be a waste and time and postage. I’m trying to see if anyone has an old Zoom preload fork that they can sell to me (Yan said they don’t have any more). If anyone out there has one, let me know. I’m also going to look into kids MTBs with suspensions to see if those would work for this bike.

Fender: The bike came with this quarter fender for the rear and nothing for the front. Come on! The rear fender will not do enough to prevent road spray up your back and you get nothing up front(!) If you commute, you WILL ride in the rain (unless you live in Death Valley, CA). Get yourself some full coverage fenders. I will.

Tires: The bike comes with the basic Kenda Kwest tires. Ok, but you can probably get more zippiness by upgrading to some Marathon’s or another high quality tire. If I end up gashing one of these tires, I’ll upgrade asap. Until then, I’ll keep these on.

Rear rack: The included rack fits well, but sits too low if you want to do side panniers. I encountered a problem with heel strike (back of my heel hits my bag as I pedal) with the included rack. I have already installed a taller rack. With bag riding higher, I don’t have that problem anymore.

Saddle: The saddle is some sort of light “Velo” saddle. It is lightweight. That’s about all it’s got going for it. It doesn’t agree with my sit bones. Will upgrade to something different soon.

All in all, I’m pretty satisfied with this 8H. The problem with the fork can be overcome with a new one. I’ll be riding it hard the next few months and maybe it’ll soften up. Except for the fork, the fenders, tires, and rack are minor quibbles that I would usually have with any bike.

Pros: lightness, IGH, agility, stable ride, fitability

Cons: front suspension fork, fender, tires, saddle

Fenders When You Have No Clearance.

2010-04-19T22:03:00.000-07:00

As I posted earlier, I bought these Big Apple tires to see if they really give you a full suspension ridehttp://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-apple-tires-do-not-give-full.html. Well, they didn’t, but I did leave them on my Dahon Yeah because they are way better than the stock Kendas it came with.

One problem: I was not able to refit the stock fenders that came with the Yeah. The Big Apples are so big/wide that the tires just clear the forks. Regular fenders won’t work with these Big Apples. You know I love fenders because they allow you to ride in the rain and keep your clothes dry.

I found these fenders sold here: http://www.suntekstore.com/black-plastic-bicycle-front-and-rear-mudguard-set.html. These items come and go so I also saved a .pdf of the page for reference http://mysite.verizon.net/vzet7ek9/suntek.pdf. The price was pretty good, too, around $5 shipped.

I actually bought two pairs of fenders. I used the 2 of the smaller mudguards to cover the front wheel. The larger one worked on the rear. I had a larger one left over. I cut a small hole in the back one so that the reflector post would fit through the fender and “lift” away from the tire. Again, it would have rubbed the tire if I had left as is. I thought about hack sawing that reflector post from the rear rack but I’m glad I didn’t.

I know the front one looks kinda funky. But this is for function not fashion.

Aside from turning the screws to go the other way, it was a fairly easy procedure. The screws pointed toward the tire and they rubbed the tire when it rotated. I can’t wait to try these out in rain conditions!

Shimano Alfine Review.

2010-03-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

Here is my first impression (about 500 miles) review of the Shimano Alfine hub, which my Novarra has. It is the best internally geared hub that I’ve ridden. My comparisons to the Alfine are the 3 speed Sturmey Archer, which is on the Brompton, and the Shimano Nexus 7, on my old Fuji Kyoto.

First, it is possible to shift while pedaling. This is different from the Sturmey Archer, which requires you to stop pedaling, and the Nexus 7, which gave you a little bit of resistance if you tried to do this. Of course, it’s easier to downshift when pedaling. You feel a little more resistance if you upshift when pedaling.

Second, I did ride this IGH during the winter (even a couple of -32 degree commutes), and I encountered no problems in shifting. I had read that the grease in the hub tends to freeze up during cold commutes. Not so in my experience.

Third, it is quiet. The Sturmey Archer gives you significant clicks in the lower gears. A little less in the high one, but still audible. The Nexus was in between the Sturmey A and the Alfine in terms of noise.

Finally, the range is very adequate for a city commuter. The ratios are:
Gear Ratio 1 0.527 Gear Ratio 2 0.644 Gear Ratio 3 0.748 Gear Ratio 4 0.851 Gear Ratio 5 1.0 Gear Ratio 6 1.223 Gear Ratio 7 1.419 Gear Ratio 8 1.615.

I don’t have 3K miles by which to give you a fuller review of durability, but so far count me as impressed. Again, if you do a lot of stop and go riding in urban environments, you really should make the investment in an IGH equipped bike. It is more expensive than a derailleur equipped bike, but after getting used to downshifting in stops, you will not want to go back.

My alfine is the SGS-501 model (written on the hub).

Brompton Rolling Wheels Upgrade, Pt. 2

2010-02-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

As you recall, I upgraded the original rolling wheels that come with the Brompton to roller blade wheels as covered here: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/03/roller-blade-wheels-upgrade-for.html In that post, I mentioned that I was looking for some larger diameter wheels because the roller blade wheels did not allow you to roll the bike. Well, I finally found some reasonably priced Razor Scooter http://www.razor.com/ 98mm wheels that I installed on the Brompton. I paid $3 for them. You can also get them at regular price at a toy store like Toys R Us for around $10.

The installation was pretty simple. Each of the Razor wheels come with two bearings. You simply remove one of the bearings since the Brompton screw is not long enough to encompass both bearings. I did not tighten the screw too much.

How did the upgrade work? Good. I am now able to roll the bike via the fully extended saddle seatpost, but only by pushing it forward. I had visions of pulling the bike like upright luggage with pull-out handles, but that doesn’t work. Pushing it forward also has its quirks as the bike wants to lean one way as the load is not evenly balanced. It helps to hold the saddle with two hands as you push forward so you can control it from tipping to the right. As with the other roller blade wheels, there is no interference with heel strike.

Overall, I’m satisfied with the new wheels. Pushing the bike forward saves you from lifting the bike say across a lobby or tight spaces where you can’t or shouldn’t ride. Looking at the wheels takes some getting used to since they are bigger and a lighter color than the old ones. Maybe I’m not used to them being on the Brompton. They just look huge.

Here’s the bottom line with this upgrade:

Pros:
1) Able to roll the bike (only by pushing forward, though)
2) No heel strike issues
3) Low cost
4) Wheels can be found most everywhere

Cons:
1) Bike wants to lean one way as you’re pushing forward

Dumped! By Snow, That Is.

2010-02-15T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ugh! As I type this, I am seeing some snow flurries out my window. The forecasters have predicted 1-2 inches for today in the immediate Washington DC metro area. In years past, such a snowfall would have generated much excitement. This year, it’s just a nuisance. You see, we’ve gotten around 56 inches of snow this season.

I read somewhere that we’ve gotten more snow than Buffalo or Cleveland this year. Even more, it has not warmed up enough to melt some of the snow that has fallen. It hardens by the sides of the road or in mounds of ice on the street. These mounds are very dangerous to maneuver by bike so I’ve been relying on public transit to get to work. Only the major thoroughfares have been plowed/cleared and I mostly take the side streets to avoid cars breathing down my rear tire. Maybe I’ll consider studded tires next year if we have another winter like this. I’m sure if I order studded tires tonight, it won’t snow again this season.

This is what your typical residential street looks like 3 days after the last major storm. Only one lane is somewhat paved and it's only good for one car.

Miscellaneous Bike Stuff For Sale.

2010-01-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ah, this bike hobby of mine. Pros: great fun, exercise, wind in your face. A definite con: buying a lot of bike stuff that you end up never using. Hence the purpose of this post.

I’m selling the following bike stuff that I need to unload. Most of the stuff is either new or used once. Email me to arrange payment. I take paypal, money order, personal check (must clear before I mail), cash. Prices include shipping in the continental U.S. If I need to ship to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico or the territories, email me before hand and I’ll tell you how much extra to send me to cover the additional shipping charges.

Downtube 8H front suspension fork $40 ***SOLD***

I took this off my 2009.5 Downtube 8H, 1 1/8" diameter, threaded, for a 20" wheel, 100mm wide, can accomodate disc brakes as well. Nothing wrong with it, I just felt it didn't have the bounciness of the older DT forks. I rode this fork for about 200 miles. Actual weight of the fork is 3lbs 4oz (for the weight weenies out there). Some further specs are shown in the pix.

NEW Bern Muse Helmet size Large $40 ***SOLD***

Brand new helmet. Never worn it. Still has original tags. A little too big for my melon. Color is brown. A small Bern logo in front is pink, which suggests it is for women, but if you scrape that off (Presto!) it’s a man’s helmet. Bern helmets look really cool; not like traditional bike helmets.

NEW Ergon GX3 Bar Ends $65 ***SOLD***

Never got a suitable bike to install these on. Still in original packaging. From the description on the package: New for 2009 the GX3 introduces a longer full size race bar end. Featuring rubberized anti-slip inlays, the lightweight ergonomic shape provides enough room for the whole hand. The use of advanced materials keeps weight to a minimum, while the user benefits from an additional hand position, and increased leverage when climbing. Glass fiber Composite Bar end. MSRP=$84.99.

Terry Fly Titanium White Men's Bike Saddle, $75 ***SOLD***

Got this for a roadbike that I still haven’t bought yet. Still in original packaging and haven’t installed it to any of my bikes. From the box: Terry Precision Fly men's bike saddles feature a textured leather cover and a center cutaway to reduce pressure. Flat across top. High-density support foam in rear. Color: White. Weight: 255 grams.

NEW Schwinn 12 function bike computer $12

Never opened. Everyone needs one of these.

Specialized Dolce Leather Saddle $25

Has the ergonomic center cutout. Cromoly hollow rails. 6 1/2” width at it’s widest part, 10 ¼” length. Black leather. Tried this saddle on my Brompton and did not work for me.

Best Mirror for the Brompton

2009-12-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

As I’ve mentioned before, I really like the Mirrycle bar end mirror (http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2008/08/review-of-mirrycle-mirror-best-mirror.html). However, I can’t really install it on the Brompton because I tend to fold and unfold the bike many times. I guess it would work if the Brommie was never in a folded state.

I'd like to recommend the Zefal spin handlebar mirror (MSRP $19.99). The Zefal spin gives you a smaller “window” to look behind, though. It’s a compromise you make for having a mirror on a folding bike. Another positive is that you can fold the mirror “in” and, when you unfold it out, it tends to stay at your personal viewing angle. Finally, folding the mirror in does not interfere with folding/unfolding the Brompton.

Give the Zefal spin a try. I think you’ll like it for your Brompton or other folding bike. (Tag: Review of the Zefal spin handlebar mirror.)

Brompton vs. Dahon Mu (folded state ONLY)

2009-12-06T19:21:00.001-08:00

Alice got herself a Dahon Mu P8. Thought I'd post some pix of my Brompton compared to the Mu. The Brompton wins as it has a more compact, elegant package. It's not a total blowout, though. Keep in mind that the Mu comes with slightly bigger 20" wheels. Maybe if I get a chance to babysit this MU I'll give it a full review. Enjoy!

Bike saddle protection: Target bags rock!

2009-11-04T07:41:00.000-08:00

As I’ve mentioned before, I leave my bike outside the subway station while I spend my (typically) 9 to 5 day at the office. With my bike exposed to the elements, I usually cover my saddle with some sort of plastic cover to primarily avoid moisture from rain. I was trying shower caps for a while and they worked well, but the moisture caused the elastic part to lose its elasticity. This would cause the wind to blow the cap away. I would get these shower caps for free when staying at hotels.

After a while, I ran out of shower caps. I even bought a fancier one at the dollar store which also sagged out from the elastic part. So, I decided to go with the free plastic bags that you get at the grocery store. These are ok, but the plastic is thin and tears easily. And, some of the bags have predefined holes at the bottom (huh?). I don’t know why some have these, but maybe the manufacturers put them there so air can escape when packing them.

One bag doesn’t have these problems: the Target stores bag. These are thicker than your typical grocery store bag and they don’t come with holes. Best of all they’re free. The thickness of the plastic makes these bags last a long time.

New dedicated commuter: Review of 2009 Novara Fusion

2009-10-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! Got a new ride! Found this at REI and the folks there let me apply a coupon. MSRP is $899, but I paid a little over $700 with tax. I think this is going to be my modus operandi: buy a new bike at a significant discount, ride it awhile, then sell it for what you paid for it or make a little profit(!). Lather, rinse and repeat. Ride a new bike for free or get paid for doing it! Anyway, on to the review…

This bike is like a tricked out Mercedes Benz. It’s got little accoutrements (big word, huh?) that make it stand out from other Internally Geared Hub (IGH) or city commuting bikes. A MBenz has things like heated seats, wipers on the headlights, air conditioned glove boxes, etc. Same with the Fusion. This bike has things like a bell in the brake levers, leather wrapped grips, dynamo power light...I like the color of this bike, which REI calls “Espresso”.

THE RIDE: Even though the bike is heavy (mine weighs 33 lbs), it can really roll fast. This may have to do with the 700x32 Vittoria Randonneur thin tires. You give it one pedal stroke and off you go. The drawback to the speed is that the ride is kinda rough. You’re better off sticking to pavement primarily. I am a fan of front suspensions because I do a lot of curb jumping, cutting through parking lots, and basically encountering many potholes or dips in city asphalt. I may have to ride this bike when I’m fairly sure I’ll be sticking to city streets and more “traditional” commutes.

To improve the harshness of the ride I will swap out the very nice leather saddle, which my sit bones do not agree with. And, look into Ergo or other ergonomic grips that will allow me to absorb the bumps from the front. The leather grips that come with this bike sure look nice, but don’t provide any padding at all. I would do padded gloves but, 1) I’m always in a hurry and can’t find them quickly enough and 2) I’m not sure there are any full finger padded gloves for cold weather riding.

SHIMANO NEXUS 8 HUB: My Fuji Kyoto had the Nexus 7, which was a great introduction to IGHs. When you compare the Nexus 8 to the Nexus 7, the 8 is quieter and allows you to shift when pedaling. When you shifted the 7, you pretty much had to be not pedaling or stopped. If you didn’t, you would be greeted with a significant clunking noise. This Nexus 8 is much smoother. Of course you get 1 extra gear, which increases the range. This bike comes with trigger rapidfire shifters, which psychologically may suggest that the shifting is more precise than the 7 on the Kyoto, which uses twist shifters. The 46T front crankset with the 20T rear cog gives this bike very good granny gearage for my area, which is hilly. As I’ve mentioned before, IGHs are great for city riding because they allow you to shift while stopping.

DISC BRAKES: I am anxious to try these brakes on a rainy commute. Rim brakes work good in most situations, but rain and other noxious weather is where disc brakes shine. I googled another review of the Fusion http://www.readingfordummies.com/blog/archives/2009/03/08/novara_fusion_update.html and there was a concern that some water/ice could pool in the cable housing below the bottom bracket (where the rear brake cable runs) in subfreezing commutes. This could cause the rear brakes to not engage. I don’t think I’ll have a problem with this since I usually tend to favor the front brake when stopping. And, the weather here is not so bad that it freezes AND precipitates. This only happens a few times per year. We’re such wimps in cold weather here that I think that all schools and employees are usually given the day off in such conditions. Still, this could be a mass tort lawsuit waiting to happen for REI.

LIGHTS: The front Basta Pilot halogen light is powered by a dynamo hub in the front. When rolling, the the top light illuminates and there is a circular ring of leds that flash on/off. Very nice. Again, the light is meant more for cars to see you rather than to fully light your way forward. If you do a lot of night riding, I would invest in a good LED setup to supplement this Basta light. The bottom part of this light seems to be a reflector only. There are 3 positions for the switch in this light. 1=off 2=on and 3=on. There is no difference between positions 2 and 3. I’ve tried them both and the light output and flashing seem the same. Anyone out there have the same experience?

The rear fender has a light sensitive blinkie that comes on in low light conditions. It is battery powered. It works! The flashing is not that bright, but should give you some visibility to cars and such. I will also supplement a good Planet Bike blinkie so that cars are sure to see you.

SUMMARY: This is a fine, dedicated commuter that is outfitted very nicely. Time will tell how it holds up as I pile on the miles.

PROS: Speediness, IGH, Fenders, Dynamo Powered light, Stock Blinkie light, Disc brakes, Bell, Color scheme

CONS: Weight, Stiff ride, No Chainguard, Stock Saddle

Cheng Shin Tires: Don’t Know What You Got til It’s Gone

2009-09-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

These tires came with my Schwinn Voyageur and one of them developed a gash. I tried to do a homebrew fix by putting patch on the inside of the tire and some super glue on the tread side (see pix below). That didn’t work as the spot would bulge when I tried to get close to the max PSI recommended. The tire that gashed was my rear tire.
I don’t know that much about tires only that some feel and ride great and others are just adequate. These were strictly in the first category. It seemed that when you wanted to go fast, these tires would aid you in that. And, if you just wanted to go slow and cruise, these tires would absorb the bumps and help you on your merry way.

Retailers do not seem to carry them. I looked for them in Walmart or Kmart and they only have Bell tires. I replaced them with Forte Gotham slicks (w/o Kevlar belt). I’ll use the front tire as a spare.

Tire size of the Cheng Shins was 700x40 . I had only put about 700 miles on these before the gash. They still had plenty of tread left.

I had read that they were pretty ho-hum tires and that manufacturers put these on because of their cheapness. My review of these Cheng Shin tires is quite positive.

Big Apple Tires Do Not Give a Full Suspension-Type Ride (20” size)

2009-09-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot of raves on the internet about Schwalbe Big Apple Tires. People say that they have a wide footprint and roll very well. I agree. I disagree when they claim that slapping these on can give you the equivalent of a full suspension. Here’s my review of the Big Apple Tires:

I was at a bike shop that I never go to because it’s so far away from my house. I saw that they had these tires at a very reasonable price ($25 each). I couldn’t pass these up because they usually run about $35 online and that price does not include shipping. The size of the tires I bought is 20x2.0.

I installed them on my Dahon Yeah, which has those cheap Kenda Kwest’s. The Kenda’s are basically your lowest common denominator tire that major manufacturers put on their bikes. It’s like what the airline attendant thinks when she hands you that mini bag of pretzels: We’d like to give you something cheaper than this, but the next cheapest thing is dog food.

They were a definite step-up from the Kendas. They roll fantastic. The wideness of the tires even gives you confidence to take these loose or off-road gravel paths. The range of the PSI is 30-70. At 40PSI they do absorb the rough asphalt that could give you the jarring feeling in the hands. When you inflate them at the max (70PSI), they give you speed. Not as much absorption of the rough asphalt, though.

However, curb dropping and taking deep undulations of a road is not aided by the Big Apples. They really can’t compare to the full suspension feel of the Downtube Full Suspension bike, for example. I like these tires.

Pros: roll very well, wide footprint, absorb basic rough asphalt, reflective sidewall, Kevlar lined for puncture protection
Cons: not a substitute for a full suspension bike, price (if you don’t find them on sale)

Bellevue, WA: Immaculate, cool bike racks, and jackets in the summer.

2009-08-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a quick business trip to Bellevue, Washington. Bellevue is an outlying suburb of Seattle. A resident of Bellevue told me that Bellevue has always been a bedroom community of Seattle, but with higher property values. Well, I asked: shouldn’t it be called a ‘master’ bedroom community, ha-ha.

Anyway, I didn’t take an extra day so I could go riding (sorry Brompton), but I did walk around after my daytime meetings were over. First, the downtown area was surprisingly clean. They must run those street sweepers all night because nary a fast food wrapper or plastic water bottle was seen in the curbs.

2nd, they had these cool looking bike racks (men’s and women’s versions). Didn’t see a lot of urban riders, though. I saw 2, and they were both riding on the sidewalk. Bike racks were unused, too.

Finally, the temperature was a nice respite to the humid hot DC weather. I guess highs were up around the mid 70s. Mornings were cool (60s), but not cold. Yet, there were a lot of people wearing performance fleece as they jaunted around town. We’re talking Marmot, Mountain Hardware and TNF Denalis. I’d hate to be out here when it gets cold (like 50 degrees). I’d probably see some heavy parkas and such. To be fair, I did see people with flip flops, shorts and tshirts. They were probably from out of town.

Review of the Laken ISO 70 Insulated Water Bottle

2009-08-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

I’ve been looking for a water bottle that is stainless steel and that can keep my water cold when I take my long rides. (Soapbox time: Steel and other BPA-free water bottles are reusable and great for the environment). All of the steel bottles I’ve seen are single walled and only keep water at room temperature. My plan would be to use this bottle in my water cage, throw it in my bag and maybe take it into the office.

There is a Polar bottle (http://www.polarbottle.com/) that is squeezable and has some sort of flexy insulated material that keeps liquids cold, but I don’t like they way it looks. I’m also afraid that the kind of abuse that I would put the Polar bottle through may cause it to leak or maybe even tear. The Polar bottle looks like it’s made of some flimsy rubber/plastic material.

I thought I had found the perfect candidate in the Laken ISO 70 water bottle. It felt as lightweight as a regular steel bottle because it has some sort of insulating material (aerogel) to keep water cold. In addition, it had a “wide mouth” so I could easily drop ice cubes in there. I picked it up at my local hiking/camping store and the price was $30 (ouch!). For that price it should work.

I tested it out this past weekend by filling it halfway with ice cubes and the rest with water. It kept the water cold for about 2-3 hours. That’s it. I was expecting more like 8-10 hours. Very disappointing.

Bottom line: Save your money and don’t by the Laken ISO 70 bottle. Looks promising, but does not deliver.

Budget Lock Options Found at Your Local Dollar Store

2009-07-18T21:41:00.000-07:00

I love bicycling, but I hate paying high prices for bike accessories. Everything you see at the bike shop carries a hefty price, too. Because of this, I’m always on the lookout for cheap or on sale biking items. As you’ve seen from this blog, I’ve sometimes modified cheap(er) hardware store parts and adapted them for by biking purposes.

Below are two locks that I picked up at my local dollar store. The one on the left was $4 or $5. The one on the right was $1. If you are going to lock up your bike for an extended period of time I would recommend a U-lock, which can run you around $20. For a high quality U-lock, you can expect to pay more.

However, U-locks are heavy and add to the overall weight you carry on your ride. The locks here are affordable and lightweight. Ok, the one of the left is a little heavier (but not as much as a U-lock). The one on the right is great for locking up your bike outside the grocery store. It provides enough of a deterrent to prevent someone from walking away with your bike. At this price, you have no excuses for not carrying a cable lock.

The one on the left is more substantial. The cable is encased in thick rubber plastic type material. The cable inside looks to be woven three or four times. I can see wire cutters having a hard time cutting this cable lock. This lock is good for going inside the mall or seeing a movie for 3-4 hours.

Go to your local dollar store and check these out. I picked them in red color because I figured the "drive by" thiefs will notice that my bike is locked.

Fenders on my Downtube full suspension.

2009-05-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post an upgrade I did on my Downtube. I installed full coverage fenders, which are better than those clip on fenders that are available everywhere. Take note of the back fender: It is shaped like a “C” which is great for stopping the rain from going up your back and messing up your drivetrain. The “C” shape covers up roughly 50% of the wheel. Rear clip-ons will usually do only 25%-30% of the wheel.

These are Planet Bike Hardcore recumbent 20” fenders. I believe they are also called “freddy fenders”. Planet bike sells them separately so you can’t buy them as a set. I guess it’s common for recumbent to have a different sized front and rear wheel (thus no sets). Including shipping both these cost me about $30.

It was a little challenging installing the rear fender. I criss-crossed some handi ties over the screw hole (the Downtube doesn’t have any place to fasten these). Still, the fender would slip down gradually while riding. I applied some duct tape around the screw hole area so that this wouldn’t happen. The duct tape went under the fender and around the frame. I could have made some holes instead of the duct tape, but I didn’t want to damage/modify the fenders as I may sell them later if I get rid of this bike.

The front fork of the Downtube doesn’t have a hole that neatly lines up with the wire holder of the fender. Thus, I fastened it using handi ties to the fork. I could have done p-clamps, but that would require me cutting the wire short. Again, I didn’t want to modify the original parts. I wish that planet bike would make their wires long and with an adjustable fastener to go up and down the fender. I’ve seen these fenders on some bikes. Longer adjustable wires would allow you to reach further or shorter depending on the holes on the frame. Another option is to use the holes that the Downtube has for disc brakes, but I wanted to keep those clear for now.

Injury update: I’m riding more, but still taking it easy. Lifting the front part of the bike hurts my left hand slightly. Some slight pain when separating thumb and index finger on my left hand and resting on handlebar. Squeezing the left brake is almost pain free.

Took a tumble. Sprained/forearm wrist.

2009-05-04T09:21:00.000-07:00

Update 5-12-09 Did a short ride this morning on the Brommie. About 3 miles. Stuck generally to neighborhood streets. I ended up pawing the left handlebar to squeeze the brakes. Gripping the handlebar by separating the thumb and forefinger is painful. Thus, pawing and squeezing is the way to go. Pulling on the handlebar causes slight pain. I do this when going up an incline. I didn’t realize I did this until this injury. I guess I won’t be bombing down streets and jumping curbs for a while. I’ll ride this way until I feel well enough. Felt good to ride again :).

Update 5-9-09. 7 days since fall. Slow and incremental recovery. I am gradually regaining my motor skills on my left hand. Let me rephrase: I can do some motor skills with not as much pain. I tried to ride my Fuji 2 days ago and it was too painful on my left wrist to rest on the handlebars. I rode the Brommie yesterday (test ride on my front street) and that was slightly better. I had to use my lower palm on the left handlebar. The Brommie may be less painful since you don’t rest your upper body as much on the handlebars. Still pain when I squeeze the brakes, though. No real riding yet. I did some jogging yesterday (about 2.5 miles). That felt good, but today my right knee hurts. I hope that’s just because that knee took the harder hit rather than some other serious knee problem. Probably the former since my knee hadn’t been hurting in the aftermath of the fall. Another observation: My left hand/wrist hurts more when I wake up in the morning than during the day when I’m at work or loafing around the house. Sigh.

This has been my second fall since I got into biking again. My first was a sideways topple when I was testing some toe clips. Nothing serious there other than a scraped knee. This was more painful and we’ll see how long this keeps me down.

This happened on a Saturday afternoon. I was riding around the back of a heavily trafficked shopping center. I sometimes do this to avoid crazy drivers backing out of their parking spaces. Anyway, there was an elevated (about 1”) sewer drain in the middle of the back of this shopping center. Sort of like an elevated rectangle with a sewer in the middle. I guess I thought it wasn’t that high or maybe I wasn’t thinking about it so I went over it. I rode parallel and very close to one of its edges and the front wheel slipped off it and my bike went sideways. I went forward and landed on all fours.

I scraped my palms slightly and my right knee pretty good. My left wrist took the worst of the impact (although I didn’t scrape my left palm as bad as the right). My left wrist and lower forearm got slightly puffy and today (Monday) it is bruised purple. I didn’t go to the clinic because 1) it was a weekend and I didn’t want to wait 3 hours to get seen and 2) we’ve been having an outbreak of the swine flu in my area. I figured that sick people were there (or had been there) and I would most certainly catch something esp. if I had to wait 3 hours.

I do have a dull pain there, but it is not throbbing. Obviously, I can’t rest my left hand on handlebars so I’m not riding. Also, some motor skills like turning a doorknob are painful. I felt better yesterday (Sunday) and about the same today. I know I’m getting better since I had a hard time taking off my T-shirt Saturday night and I was able to do it a lot better on Sunday. I’ve been putting ice on it a couple of times a day and that makes it feel better. Advil really does a great job of making it feel better, but my stomach doesn’t get along with Advil so I don’t like to take it.

I googled wrist injuries and all recommend resting it and let time heal it. Ice it for the first 24-48 hours then heat treatments afterwards. We’ll see.

Folding bikes at LL Bean!

2009-04-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

As you’ve noticed from this blog, I’m a big fan of folding bikes. They open up bicycling to a lot of people who would not consider it. I imagine that most Americans don’t have large SUVs or trucks to ferry bikes to places that are more bike friendly. For most cars, you can get bike racks to carry your full-sized bikes on the outside. However, that is an added expense. Folding bikes solve this problem.

Folders are also more storable for urban residents who don’t have a large garage or big backyard. People who live in large high rise apartments or condos can benefit from folders. Just fold the bike and put it in the corner of the room or closet.

So, I was really excited to see that LL Bean, a major retailer,is carrying Dahon folding bikes. The bikes that I saw were Dahon Ecos and they are selling them at $379. I had not seen the Eco before, but they look similar to the Dahon Mariner/Vitesse. (Dahon tends to sell the same bike under different names to retailers). I also know that REI, another national retailer, is selling the Novarra Buzz Fly By at its stores and online. The Fly By is basically the Dahon Mu with slightly lower level components.

Progress? I hope so. Snapped this pix of the Dahon Eco at my LL Bean store:

Find a Saddle and Stick to It

2009-04-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Saddles, or bicycle seats, are very personal choices. I’ve heard it described that your sit bones have a lot to do with your how well you like a particular saddle. Luckily, I’ve found one that works for me. It is the Bell Mountain Bike saddle. This particular saddle is available at places like Kmart and Walmart. And, I’ve never paid more than $20 for it. It has a dimple along the back and a hole more to the front. The indentions in the middle must be for a man’s prostate, which should not be pressed (by your weight) completely flat to any surface. The material of the saddle is vinyl. This saddle has no springs, but good cushioning.

As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t do any long distance rides and mostly use my bikes for commuting, running errands, and the occasional weekend ride. I hardly think about this saddle being there when I’m riding. It’s that comfortable. The only slight negative is that the saddle is sewn. During rainy days water can penetrate it. When there’s rain in the forecast and I’m leaving my bike out, I wrap it up in a grocery bag, though.

Give this saddle a shot. You may like it. (My specs: I don’t have a wide bottom, my waist is 34” and weigh around 170lbs.)

Great value folder: Downtube 2009 8FS Review

2009-04-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

4.17.09 Update. Have only done 3-4 rides on this bike. One of them was a wet ride. Anyway, after that ride, the rear derailleur wouldn’t shift. I tried all the suggestions on the Downtube site (http://www.downtube.com/Adjustment_Instructions/Rear_Derailleur_Adjustment/) to no avail. BTW, the derailleur on the above link is not the same as the one on my 8FS. For example, there are no H & L screws. It turns out that the inside of the shifter cable had developed some sort of white crud. It wouldn’t move. I replaced it with new cable and housing that I made sure was greased up. Now, the shifting is working great. It works even better than when I got the bike new.

I have been using the Dahon Yeah to run errands in mostly city streets and alleys, and the lack of cushioning is very noticeable. I really needed something to improve the rough ride. I was either going to get 1) some Schwalbe Big Apple tires to install on the Yeah or 2) get a brand new full suspension (FS) bike to replace the Yeah.

Big Apple tires are highly regarded because they are wider and tend to run at lower pressures which help to cushion the ride. On the bikeforums site, there were some posters that mention that the BAs are not really a replacement for a full suspension bike. That made me wary of them a little. The thing that turned me away from the BAs was the price. For a pair, they were going for about $80 (including shipping).

I decided to look at full suspension bikes. I looked at a couple like the Dahon Jetstream or the Birdy bikes. These bikes are expensive, though. They are usually around $1000 for each. I had been hearing good things about Downtube bikes. The owner of Downtube (Yan Lyansky) is a folding bike enthusiast and posts on the bikeforums site. He also is very committed to customer service as he always seems to “take care of” his customers esp. if they have problems with their Downtube bikes. While Downtube has a storefront and some dealers, their business model is geared to selling online, thereby passing cost savings onto the customer.

One of his full suspension bikes, the 8FS, was on sale for $299. This was the best price I could find on a new FS bike (and with a 1 year a warranty). Compared to the $80 I was going to pay for the new BA tires, I decided the 8FS was a better deal.

Let me cover what I liked about my 8FS. First, the bike was ready to ride out of the box. I just unfolded it, put it together like the instructions directed and I was ready to go. There was no rubbing of parts or squeaks of any kind. The suspension works as advertised. I can now do some curb drops and roll on the sometimes brick-layed streets of DC. The rear suspension is adjustable so I have set it sort of stiff so I don’t bob up and down when I pedal. The tires are Kenda Kwests (the same that come on the Yeah) and they roll very fast on asphalt. For some reason, I think that the Yeah makes me pedal more when I am on flat surfaces (high rolling resistance?). I believe that the

8FS almost feels like riding the 700c tires of my commuter bike. The bike also comes with some cushy handgrips. I usually ride without padded gloves so these grips are perfect. Downtube also includes bar ends. I probably won’t be using this bike to do long rides where I have to shift hand positions and use the bar ends, but it’s nice to know they are there. Finally, The 8FS comes with a bell to alert folks as you are about to pass them.

In terms of what I didn’t like, the first thing would be the shifting. I have tightened the cables and the shifting is still a little rough. It is acceptable to a person not used to riding bikes like I do, but not for me. There is a noticeable clunk when going to a low gear. Before I tightened the cables, gears would sometime slip down by themselves. That problem seems to have been fixed. Maybe a new derailleur and new cable would be an upgrade that I would consider. Another thing that’s good about Downtube bikes is that they use parts that would work on other “regular” bikes. Dahon uses mostly proprietary parts so upgrading those is time consuming and often costly. I probably won’t do the derailleur/cable upgrade because the area where I will ride this bike is mostly flat with just some gentle hills that would require me to use 1-2 gears.

The stock brake pads could be better on the 8FS. They don't give me the quick stops that I am used to. Kool stops will usually solve this. Another minor gripe is the high standover height of the 8FS. All the folders that I’ve ever ridden don’t make you raise your feet so high to straddle them. This one does. I also wish this bike came with full cover mudguards or a customized fender solution (from Downtube) to add them easily. The folded state is a little jagged. If you need a folder to put in the back of your hatchback, it will work though. This folder has given me the closest approximation of a full sized bike in terms of riding feel (I know, I know, I've only ridden Brommies and Dahons).

Other minor gripes: bike is a little heavy; about 28 lbs. and the stock saddle is more race inspired meaning thin like. I prefer something just a tad wider. Finally, some of my pix have question marks. That's because I don't know what the purpose of these holes that are on the bike.

Pros: ready-to-ride, cushy suspension, surprisingly speedy, handgrips, bar ends

Cons: rough shifting, weak brake stopping power, no fenders/mudguards, heavy bike, stock saddle not for me

Bottom line: If you are looking for a excellent value in a full suspension folder, look no further than the Downtube 8FS.

Roller Blade Wheels Upgrade for the Brompton

2009-03-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

(Check out Pt. 2 of this upgrade by reading here: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2010/02/brompton-rolling-wheels-upgrade-pt-2.html)

I had been reading at the Bikeforums about replacing the stock roller wheels with either the Easy Wheels (expensive) or roller blade wheels. The stock Brompton wheels are not that useful for rolling the bikes and have the negative benefit of getting caught in your shoes when pedalling. I’ve developed an inside out stroke to compensate for this so my shoes don’t get caught anymore. If your shoes get caught it could be dangerous if you happen to be in the middle of the street or you could take a sideways tumble if you’re stationary with your foot caught.

It took me a while to do this upgrade because I didn’t want to spend too much for roller blade wheels. Thrift shops carry donated roller blade skates, but they don’t want to sell individual blade shoes (a roller blade skate has 4 wheels and I only need 2). I finally came across some new wheels that cost me $3. Also, make sure your roller wheels come with bearings.

The upgrade was straightforward and pretty simple. I used the screws from the Brompton roller wheels. The wheels protrude sideways the same length as the old Brompton wheels, but they do make a difference in getting your shoes caught. Or rather NOT getting your foot caught.

There was no benefit of being able to roll the bike on the new wheels, though. I thought you could roll the bike like luggage at a 45 degree angle by pulling the saddle as a handle. It’s just not possible. The suspension “nipple” protrudes and you periodically get snagged while rolling it. Maybe a larger diameter wheel can solve this (I used a 72mm wheel). I don’t know, though.

Here’s my bottom line for this upgrade:
Pros:
1) No more shoes caught on the wheels (!)
2) Very low cost

Negatives:
1) Can’t roll the bike at an angle

This is a definite “must do” upgrade for your M3L because it’s so inexpensive.

Winter's Grip.

2009-03-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

I haven’t posted in so long, I should be flogged. I have been commuting, though. On very cold days, I usually wear thermal underwear. That helps. I’m ready for the winter to be over.

It has been unusually cold, but not a lot of snow. Just yesterday, the DC area got about 6-8 inches. That’s on top of 2 inches we got early in the winter. It’ll probably give us about 10 inches for this winter. Not a lot of snow. However, temperature wise it has been cold, though. Below average cold. The pix is of my Yeah bike, that is ensconced in the white stuff. Poor baby. Don’t worry. Three little ladies to the rescue: April, May and June, ha-ha.

Wanton Vandalism.

2008-12-15T21:17:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned, I leave my Fuji Kyoto outside when I park at the subway station. Well, some idiot took a liking to my front hub generator light and tried to rip it off. Turns out it’s bolted on pretty firmly. He couldn’t get it off. Nonethless, he ripped the cover off and ripped the wires that connect the hub to the rear tail light. Now, my lights don’t work.

I’m pretty sure I can re-attach the wires somehow and glue the light cover back on. I’ll probably uglify it with some duct tape to (hopefully) deter other would be vandals.

Still, I can’t understand the mentality of someone who would try to steal someone’s light then seeing that he can’t have it, destroy it so that the owner can’t have further use of it. It’s like the line in the movie when the bad guy says, “If I can’t have it, nobody can!”

Dedicated commuter: Review of the Fuji Kyoto 2.0

2008-10-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

As I blogged about previously, I have been commuting on my Schwinn GSD (review). I called it my “go to” guy and it is a very good commuter. However, my recent experience with my Brompton has introduced me to Internally Geared Hubs (IGH). I had heard that IGHs were good for city/urban commutes, but personal experience with the Brompton has shown me that they are outstanding. I encounter frequent stops on my commute which is where IGHs shine. Being able to shift at a stop is a great benefit for urban commuters. You can shift down to an easy gear then up shift to the higher gear when you get rolling.

Because of this, I began to explore full sized bikes with IGHs. Bikes with IGHs are not readily available at local bike shops (LBSs). Many times you have to special order a bike with an IGH. I’ve seen some very nice built up from scratch bikes with IGHs on the bike forums site. These are beautiful machines with fancy accessories like leather wrapped handlebars, leather saddles, beveled fenders etc. Unfortunately, these can run up to a $1000+ dollars. Nice, but if you just want a reliable ride to get you back and forth to work, these kinds of bikes may be overkill. Even more, I’d be worried if someone would steal a bike like this and I’d be out all that money.

Luckily, I found an LBS that carried 2 bike models that have an IGH. One was a Giant TranSend EX and the Kyoto 2.0. The TranSend EX was similar to the Kyoto except it had a more advanced IGH Shimano Alfine 8 (one more gear) and it had disc brakes. The Alfine hub and the disc brakes cause the price of the Giant bike to be about $200 more than the Kyoto. Price was the primary reason I went with the Kyoto BTW.

I’ve been riding this bike for just over 70 miles and here are my impressions:

THE GOOD:

IGH: (As I mentioned above) Being able to shift at a stop. This is a necessity when encountering the number of stops most urban riders encounter. Believe me, your knees will thank you for it when taking off in a low gear.

Dynamo powered lights: This bike comes stock with a front headlight and a rear red tail light that is powered by a dynamo front hub. No batteries required! Both lights turn on when you start moving. And, there is no (or at least minimal) drag from the front hub that slows you down. In addition, the wires running to both lights are out of the way and unobtrusive. The wires to the rear light run through the fenders. Ingenious! My only worry about these nice lights is that some idiot will come by and rip them off thinking he can install them on his bike or sell them. Or, he can decide to smash them after unsuccessfully attempting to take them off. After all, I do park my bike out in the open. A slight negative, the rear light is a constant red, not a blinky red type light. And, after a long ride the red light remains on for 2-3 minutes then dies. The front light turns off when you finish pedaling regardless. Finally, the light given off by the front light is not that strong so it won’t illuminate you 1 block down. However, it is meant for cars to see YOU primarily.

Accessories: The bike also comes with custom-fit fenders (a commuting necessity) and a custom fit chainguard. Manufacturer provided fenders fit a bike like a glove and this bike is no exception. I commute in “regular” clothes so the chainguard is a requirement for me.

Rim Brakes: In my previous review of the Schwinn GSD I raved about the disc brakes. Disc brakes work great in wet weather and they don’t wear out your rims. I was prepared to be less enthusiastic with this Kyoto because of the rim brakes, but I’m not. I am pleasantly surprised. These brakes are quiet, stop on a dime and don’t wobble and hit one side of the rim over another. They are perfectly centered.

Bolt-on wheels: IGHs are usually secured with bolt-on wheels rather than Quick Release hubs. Bolt-on wheels are better theft deterrents. I can use a simple cable lock to secure this bike to a tree or lamppost via the frame triangle. This would be good in a pinch, but I will use a U lock when I leave my bike locked up outside just to be safe.

THE BAD:

Weight: This bike is heavy. It weighs about 32 lbs. This is heavier than the Schwinn GSD. I don’t understand why these IGH equipped bikes are so heavy. This bike does have a front fork, which contributes to the weight. And, the IGH adds a pound or two. Maybe they use heavy aluminum and strong sturdy parts on these bikes because they are supposed to last forever and be indestructible. Here, the option of building your own IGH bike looks attractive. Get a lightweight frame , IGH it, go bare bones and you can have a 25lb or lower weight bike. Even though the bike is heavy, riding it feels really light. Maybe it’s the tires (Continental) that have little surface contact with the ground, but it feels very agile. It is only when you lift the bike that you notice the heftiness.

One last improvement: I've rigged a bottle holder on the rack so I can hang my workbag. See pix below:

There here! Rental bikes for locals.

2008-09-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

I did an entry earlier about this rent-a-bike scheme coming to my area (http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2007/10/arlington-va-to-join-ranks-of-berlin.html). Well, they’ve arrived. I saw my first Smart Bike DC location when I was downtown earlier this week and snapped some cell camera pix. In a nutshell, you pay $40 a year which gives you unlimited rides (up to 3 hours) throughout the year. If you don’t return the bike, you get tagged with a hefty charge ($500, I believe). There are 10 designated return areas/kiosks throughout the city.

As one can see, the bikes are rather utilitarian. Internal 3 speeds, chainguards with fenders and an upright riding style. The bike style offered means that anyone from a young rider to an old lady can ride them. Also, no mention about wearing a helmet anywhere near this kiosk I saw.

This is exciting. $40 is really cheap for what this gives you. It’s like an all you can eat buffet of bike riding for one year. If you want to keep your bike more than a 3 hour period, just return the bike to a kiosk. Then, re-rent another one for another 3 hour period. I hope this program is a big success so that other U.S. cities can copy these efforts.

See https://www.smartbikedc.com/ for more information.

Airbomb Not Da Bomb.

2008-09-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Review of Airbomb.com online retailer.

I frequently look for bike parts mostly online because they tend to be cheaper than going to an LBS. I try to get the part online and either install the part myself or have the LBS install it for me. Even when you include shipping, items tend to be cheaper online believe it or not. I have bought stuff before from places like Pricepoint or Performance and they have provided fast top notch service. I compare prices using Google shopping comparison site (used to be called Froggle). A site that kept coming up with low prices was Airbomb.com. I decided to give them a try and ordered a rear cog. What a mistake.

Here’s the chronology:
8/15/08 placed order
8/16/08 received order email acknowledgement
8/20/08 received a “confirmed and in process” email
8/27/08 received a “short order delay” email
9/2/08 received an “extended backorder notification” email

After the last email, I called them and cancelled the order. I spoke to someone named “Caroline” and said that was no problem. Later, they shipped the order that day!

Eighteen days to fill an order! That’s not too good. They drag the customer along and, if he/she cancels, they fulfill the order. Nice business model. Bottom line: Avoid Airbomb.com.

Review of Mirrycle Mirror: Best Mirror I've Found.

2008-08-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

I have this Mirrycle handle bar mirror that I can’t recommend more highly. I tried other mirrors and they just can’t compare with this Mirrycle. There was one I tried that you had to stick into the handlebar and had some sort of expanding rubber to hold it in place. I think it was called the Cateye handlebar MTB mirror. It wobbled too much as you rode. You had to constantly readjust it so you could have the appropriate line of sight. Not with this Mirrycle. It has an expanding cylinder (with two handlebar width sizes) that will hold this mirror firmly in place. The kit comes with a L-shaped hex key to adjust. In addition, you can adjust it once and forget it. It pretty much stays the way you left it. I wouldn’t tighten it too much because if you bike falls over or you hit a parking meter or something you may break it. Better that it be slightly loose so it can “give” in case you rub it against something.

I’m also not a fan of those stick on mirrors that you put on your glasses or on your helmet. I’ve only got one pair of glasses and I’m pretty rough with them. I toss them when I take them off and I don’t think a protruding mirror would last too long with the way I treat my glasses. Same thing with the helmet mirror. These usually stick on to the outside of the helmet. I toss my helmet in a small shelf in the garage when I remove it. Again, my rough treatment could cause these small mirrors to come off.

If you’re a regular commuter you should make a rearview mirror as one of your top 3 accessories to outfit your bike with. Using my mirror, I’m always looking behind me to see traffic approaching. Generally, I try to take the lane as much as possible to 1) avoid being “doored” from cars on the right and 2) to more be more visible to traffic. When I spot a car coming up behind me, I move slightly to the right to allow them to pass me. Although I’ve never been hit from behind, I think a rear mirror would also allow me to jump off or leave the bike if a car does strike me.

Adding a chainguard/trouser guard to my Dahon Yeah.

2008-07-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dahon equips most of their bikes with these cheap plastic ring chaincovers/bashguards. I broke my off my ring cover from my Yeah when I rubbed it accidentally with my foot. See this old pix of my Yeah with an unbroken chaincover: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/RxA6OuUEBXI/AAAAAAAAACU/0aFeg357TDk/s1600-h/yeah3.JPG.

Since I ride with "normal" clothes, I have gotten quickly tired of tucking my pants into my socks or wearing a velcro band around my right leg.

The Yeah has 52T front single ring. I set about looking for a aftermarket chainguard that would fit the front ring. I quickly found a good candidate in the Sun chainguard from Velo Orange: http://www.velo-orange.com/sunchaiguard.html ($19 + shipping). I corresponded with Chris from Velo and he assured me that this chainguard is thin steel that can be bent to fit a lot of bikes. The chainguard came with P clamps that were too little to fit my Dahon's tubes esp. the front ring area.

I improvised a solution by using this plumbers strapping tape to make a clamp. Plumbers use this tape to fasten PVC pipe to walls and joists in a house. This metal tape is highly malleable, has holes and is rust proof. The clamp I made rests on the slots where the rear cables go through. I used a small screw to hold the chainguard between my clamp (see pix). I lined the inside of my makeshift clamp with a cut up piece of inner tube. I had to expand the front part of chainguard so that it wouldn't rub against the chain.

For the rear, I bent the chainguard flat and fastened it with a handi-tie. Using the P clamp for the rear made it stick out too much and caused rubbing with the crank arm.
I am really pleased with the result. I now have a chainguard that runs all the way back so a flapping trouser leg won't rub against the back part of the chain. Those bashguards just protect the immediate area around the ring. Also, the Dahon's fold will not compromise this chainguard. Not that I fold it that much anyway. The strapping tape was a real find, as well. I bought a small roll of it. I can see it being useful for other bike projects where I have to fasten stuff to a variety sized tubes.

Packing A Brompton M3L Into An Airline-Approved Suitcase.

2008-06-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

10/19/08 Update. According to poster snod911 below, a brommie with a rear rack WON'T fit in this case. Mine doesn't have one, but perhaps you can remove it before you travel if you do. Thanks, snod911.

8/2/08 Update. It worked! I just came back from a trip to Alaska and had no problems taking the Brommie in this suitcase. Upon check-in, the case weighed 42 lbs. The airline person didn’t measure its dimensions. They did tag me with a $25 2^nd bag fee (jerks). On the return trip, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) looked at it because they left one of their pamphlets in the case. No problems! I wrapped it crosswise with a luggage strap, but the case may not have needed it. BTW, I flew Northwest airlines.

As I mentioned earlier, I bought the Brompton M3L because I wanted to be able to quickly pack it in a suitcase and take it with me on my various business trips. After researching the various options on suitcases, I think I’ve found THE one: the Delsey Axiom Suiter 29”. It is a hard-sided suitcase. Even though many recommended the Samsonite F’lite, it was too small. The largest F’lite is 31” but even that was too small.

As you can see from my pix, the M3L fits nice and tight in there. Not loose at all. This should be an advantage as a bike that is loose in a case could tend to be more easily damaged in transit. Maybe I’ll pad it further with some clothes or foam to make it more snug. I plan to get a luggage strap to wrap around the case just to be sure it won’t break apart if some baggage handler launches it like a shot put.

I was a little disappointed that I had to remove the saddle in order for it to fit, but I guess that’s the compromise with going with an airline-sanctioned suitcase. I will have to pack a wrench to remove and attach the saddle. This is certainly better than the type of disassembly some folder riders have to do with their bikes, though. The Brompton weighs about 25 lbs and the case is about 10 lbs I should still be under the 50 lb limit.

The Delsey Axiom is widely available in most independent luggage stores in my area. I was able to take my Brompton and drop it in both the Delsey and the Samsonite to do a comparison test. Most online places sell the Delsey for around $200 but I was able to find it for a little over $100 at a luggage shop in New York (w/free shipping). Local shops wanted around $250 for this Delsey.

I have a big trip coming up in July to Alaska. It’ll be the maiden voyage for this case and Brompton. I’ll report back to see how it goes.

More Like a Road Dampener: Review of Thudbuster LT 3G

2008-06-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

8/21/08 Update. At the suggestion of one of the Cane Creek guys, I switched to the softer elastometer combo (Blue-Brown). The result? It does give you a softer ride, but I still think you’d get the same result from a good sprung saddle. I expected the kind of ride you get from a full suspension MTB, but this does not approximate that.

MSRP: $139
Price paid: $120

I had heard good things about the Thudbuster LT 3G so it got me intrigued and I purchased one. Some reviewers said that it was like giving your bike a rear suspension spring. Others said that it was a great on MTB trails as well as urban jungles. My review is less than enthusiastic. I installed the Thudbuster LT 3G on my primary commuting bike, the Schwinn GSD. I give it 2 out of 5 stars.

First, it is important to make sure that your seatpost diameter is the same as the ones that Cane Creek (the manufacturer) sells. My first try was by going by the specs from Schwinn. These turned out to be wrong. Your diameter is usually engraved on your seatpost. That is the right size. Cane Creek also gives you shims in case you have a non-standard seatpost.

Installation is straightforward as you just remove the seatpost and put in the new one. It is a good idea to pre-install your saddle on the Thudbuster LT 3G before you put it in. I switched the QR clamp on my post to a bolt-on one to deter theft. (This is always a good idea in urban areas as saddles are thief magnets.)

The Thudbuster LT 3G comes with these cylindrical elastometers that are keyed to your weight. You must pair them up to give you the support you need. My weight is 170 lbs so I went with the blue/blue elastometer combo. Different colored pairs are keyed to different rider weights.

The ride after the Thudbuster LT 3G was a little underwhelming. I expected a springy type experience like a suspension MTB, but I didn’t get it. For example, coming from the sloped end of a driveway to the street curb is a significant bump. The Thudbuster LT 3G doesn’t really soften the bump. You still feel it. I still raise my rear when I leave my driveway. No different than before. If you go through a lot of those road veins/cuts/mini undulations that are not that high and in succession, the Thudbuster LT 3G will “dampen” the ride, but that’s about it.

I considered going to the softer elastometers, but Cane Creek warns against doing this. I guess they fear that a big bump will shred them esp. if your weight overstresses them. You could have an accident and Cane Creek would, theoretically, be liable.

All in all, I would recommend that you save your money and get a spring saddle. It gives the same effect at a reduced price.

Some mods/upgrades to the Brompton M3L.

2008-05-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm really enjoying my new Brompton M3L even though I have just a few miles on it. It is a solid riding bike. For a lot of new bikes, I always make adjustments after an initial riding period. Adjust the brakes, tighten something...not with this brompton (at least not yet). The only adjustment I've done is for fit. I moved the handlebars slightly towards me. The suspension, basically a rubber circle in the rear triangle, is perfect for my weight. Not too stiff and not too squishy.

Anyway, let me report on some upgrades/modifications. First, I replaced the stock brompton seat, which was hard and uncomfortable, with a Bell MTB bike seat. Ok, I bought this seat at walmart, but it has served me well on other bikes. It has an anatomical dimple/hole and no springs for suspension. I was kinda worried that I would have to invest in a pentaclip, which promises to make every saddle compatible with the brompton seat tube. As I mentioned earlier, Brompton accessories tend to be pricey. I didn't need to get the pentaclip. The Bell seat came with a saddle adapter that fit perfectly on the seat tube. These adapter clamps are also available at your LBS for about $2-3. They look like this:

Second, I ordered and installed the Brompton front carry block ($30), which allows you to fit a number of bags to the front of the brompton. I followed the instructions from Channell Wasson (see:). Channell is the top dealer (perhaps the only one?) for Bromptons on the west coast. Basically, you just have to tighten it so you won't lose the bag as you're riding. For my first bag, I purchased the folding basket ($99). This is a open basket with a built in lower support bracket. I can use it to put my work bag there as well as groceries or other things I can carry around.

The best thing about the front carry block is that it is connected to the frame, not the handlebars. That way, you can carry as much stuff in your basket/bag and it won't interfere with your steering. Most of the front baskets sold nowadays are attached or clip on to the handlebars. This affects steering and can make your bike ride more twitchy or wobbly. It's a weird feeling at first because you steer to the left and right and the basket does not move with it.

Brompton takes a lot of heat for its expensive accessories, but I'm really impressed with the quality and workmanship of these two items. So far these two have been money well spent.

It's all about the fold: Brompton M3L Review.

2008-05-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Pros: compact folding size, stays folded, surprisingly speedy, reflective tires

Cons: price/pricey accessories, saddle, plasticky shifter

I have only ridden this bike for three short rides and I am very happy with my purchase. I am surprised with the speediness of this bike. You make a pedal stroke and off you go. You also want to keep going. This is probably due to the high pressure tires of the Brompton. They take up to 100psi.

I had expected twitchiness when handling the bike as other first time Brompton users have encountered. I found little to none. I got adjusted to the ride rather quickly. The ride does feel bumpy when dealing with bumps and undulations of the road. Perhaps this is due to the saddle, which IMHO is low quality, or maybe the hardness of the high pressure tires.

Besides the saddle, the two little wheels that allow you to roll the bike kept interfering with my pedal stroke. That is a nuisance. I kept hitting those mini wheels with my heels. I’ve developed an inside-out pedal stroke to compensate for this when riding this Brompton.

Another negative is the shifter. It shifts fine, but it doesn't look that durable. The material looks like cheap plastic. I'm afraid that I'll hit a parking meter and I'll break it.

The fold is the best feature of this bike. There are other ultra portable folders like the A bike or Strida, but those are very small wheeled, funky looking bikes. They look like a stack of 2x4s held together. This is a true bike that folds small. If you want a compact-no mess-quick fold, this is the bike for you. The chain is enclosed in the fold so there is very little danger of staining your clothing as you carry it. It is the most perfect fold I've ever seen. It stays folded! You can carry it for short distances, but the weight is heavy (25lbs). You can also roll it when folded, but the wheels are rather small and this can only work if you had perfect flat pavement.

Here are some examples of multimodal commuting this Brompton gives you: You bike in to work, you don’t want to ride home, you take a cab home (with your bike with you). You ride a while, get tired, fold up your bike, take a bus or cab to where you’re going. You ride, have a flat, call a friend for a ride or take cab/bus to your destination (with your bike with you). A lot of other possibilities.

This bike is a 3 speed. This is my first internally geared bike. The rear hub is a Sturmey Archer. One thing I was not expecting was the clicking coming from the hub. It is not loud, but is different when coming from relatively quiet externally geared bikes. I understand this is quite normal with SA hubs. A three speed may not work in very hilly cities like San Francisco. You’d probably need more than 3 gears there. Here in DC, which is moderately hilly, the 3 gears work fine for me.

A definite negative to this bike is the price ($950 USD). I am hoping that Merc is able to sell their bikes here in the future at half the price of a Brompton. That way, a lot of bike enthusiasts can discover what a great solution a multimodal folder can be. Competition between the two can ensue and maybe Brompton prices will drop. Brompton keeps production of their bikes in England, which contributes to their high prices. Also pricey are the accessories to outfit a Brompton. You can’t simply swap a rail saddle to a Brompton. You have to buy a Pentaclip adapter ($30). Ouch. The same goes for a front carry bag, which will run you about $100 (a front “carry block” + bag). A positive about the accessories is that they can be retrofitted to older and newer models (at least Brompton has promised that).

The Brompton “parked” state takes some getting used to. The back wheel folds up and the bike rests on those small wheels. This is a “resting” position for the Brompton. I have gotten used to lifting all my other bikes (from the rear) when pulling them up a curb, moving them to get closer to a pole or bike rack etc. The bike rear wheel comes up as you lift it! There is a clip that prevents this, but, again, this is probably expensive. To compensate for this, I’ll try to lift the bike from the front wheel from now on.

My M3L is a 2007 model.

How I Came to Choose the Brompton M3L.

2008-04-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

I do a fair amount of airline traveling and I have been considering taking a bike with me on my trips. I own the 20” wheeled Dahon Yeah folding bike (see: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2007/10/good-affordable-folding-bike-review-of.html ) but it’s portability is not super. It is fine for folding into the trunk of your car, but packing it into an airline regulation-sized suitcase is not that simple. I’ve seen pictures of this being done, but it requires a lot of disassembly. This involves removing the wheels, the seatpost, the stem and other sundry parts. You also have to protect certain parts from damage and (less important) scratching. Extensive assembly/disassembly is something I did not want to do. Ideally, I’d like to remove nothing, or maybe one part, to pack it in a suitcase. I certainly did not want to carry tools/wrenches with me on my trip(s).

Thus, I set about to look for a smaller wheeled (16”) folding bike that I could take with me on trips with minimal disassembly. Quickly, my choices came down to the following: Downtube mini, Dahon Curve (3 speed), Brompton M3L and the Merc 3 speed. I did see a Curve in person, but the folded state seemed a little bit large. Although I didn’t see the Downtube, I saw some good pictures of it on the 'net and the bikeforums site. Frankly, the fold did not seem as compact as a Brompton. The mini did have more than 3 gears (I think 7) a plus. The prices for the mini ($450) and curve ($350) were much lower than a Brompton. Even with the low prices, and the number of gears on the Mini, I did not think that either of these bikes would have been quickly packed in an airline-approved suitcase .

This left a choice between the Merc and the Brompton. Mercs are basically Asian-produced clones of the Brompton. Mercs are regularly available from an ebay called “Merc folding bike spares” based in the U.K. The folded state of the two bikes is the same. The Mercs components are not as high quality as a Brompton, but they do include extras like a front bag and a carry case. For the light infrequent riding I was planning to do, the Merc looked attractive.

As in many things, cost was a consideration. With the current weak dollar, a Merc would have cost $400 British pounds (shipped), which equates to about $800 USD. This Brompton cost $950 USD; $150 more. Brompton seems to sell its bikes for as close to U.K. prices here in the United States. This has something to do with the dealer network and the mass quantities it ships here. In the end, I decided to go with Brompton because of the “name” of the Brompton, even though it is more expensive. I surmised that the Brompton would hold its value better than a Merc. In addition, there is one Brompton dealer in my area, which can come in handy if I have any problems with the bike. A few years ago, with the dollar stronger, my choice would have probably been different.

I will post an entry of my folded Brompton in a suitcase when I take it on my first trip.

Review of the Next Avalon Bike.

2008-04-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

4/24/08 Update: After riding this bike for approximately 25 miles, this experiment is over. I’m getting rid of this bike. I could never get quite comfortable in the cockpit. It truly did not fit me like it should. You may have to be around 5’ foot tall to have this bike fit you. After riding it, my quads hurt, my lower back hurt, it was difficult to pedal. I did the adjustments to the seat and the handlebars, but could not get this bike “dialed in” for me. Sorry, Walmart. I’m leaving my original review for reference purposes.

Pros: Price, chain cover, cushy ride, rack eyelets, bolt on wheels

Cons: Handgrips, fit (one size will not fit all), kickstand is too far back

First, I get really excited when I see commuter-friendly bikes. That was the case when I saw this Next Avalon bike. The thing that drew me to this bike was the chain cover. A chain cover! Remember when I paid almost $100 to put a chain cover on my current everyday commuter (see: http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2007/12/chainguard-making-your-us-mass-market.html). For the price of this bike ($99), I get a chain cover with an entire bike attached to it! I had to buy it.

I did purchase it at the king of all mass-market retailers, Walmart. I know that a lot of bike enthusiasts have no respect for Walmart bikes. They are always panned for being shoddily put together. And, of course, Walmart pays its vendors peanuts. This should equal lower quality. Well, why not perform my own long-term test to see if what "they" say is right? That's what I will do. My plan for this bike is for short errand running or trips to the ATM or grocery store. I plan to add a trip computer to track the mileage and the kinds of problems that I encounter as the bike piles up the miles.

Thus far, I've taken it for a short neighborhood ride and the bike seems to perform like it should. The handlebars didn't fall off. Everything is ok. The brake pads were rubbing on one side of the rear wheel so I adjusted them. The ride is very cushy. It has a springy neoprene seat as well as and single spring rear suspension. It also has a suspension front fork.

I like that this bike has bolt-on wheels. This is a good wheel theft deterrent. All you do is tie your lock cable to the frame and not worry too much about your wheels being stolen. I probably won't like this when I get a flat, but I'll deal with that when it comes.

I've added the rack so I can put stuff back there. It does have rack eyelets by the rear dropouts, but none by the seat part. I attached my rack to the rear seat stay with some P clamps. I also plan to add some fenders to it when I find them cheap or used. I don't plan to put a lot of money into this bike. I will replace the hand grips, though. They are the hard rubber kind.

Transporting a Pizza: The Bicycle Version

2008-03-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

I guess that you could carry a pizza using your free hand and the other hand to steer and brake. That would be easy, but slightly hazardous. What if you wanted to carry more than one pie? And, what if you had to travel a reasonable distance and wanted your pie to be as close to hot as it was when it came out of the oven. Voila! Here’s my method:

First, make sure you have a rack on your bike (mine is of the rear variety). Second, get yourself some kind of other square holder to put your pizza on. I found my holder behind a supermarket. I think it may have held bread or pastries that are sold at the supermarket. It is the perfect size as it can hold the large pizzas from Dominos. I fastened my bread holder to the bike rack using Velcro strap ties. These are sold at dollar and computer stores and are meant to tidy up the mass of cables coming out of your computer or TV set. Third, buy a “Hot/Cold” bag. I bought mine at my supermarket and it cost $2.99. You can also find them on ebay, but they are more expensive there. There are other cheaper ones, but I think I bought the most popular brand. They come in 3 sizes (Small, Medium, Large) and my kind is the Large. Finally, bungee straps hold the pizza to the bread rack.

As you can see, my pix shows a slight bulge at the top. I confess: I ended up getting the 6 piece wings (yes!). The max I have carried is 2 pizzas, but I think I can squeeze 3 pies in there.

I ride slow and try to avoid the bumps in the road when carrying a pizza. The first time I tried my method I had visions of the pepperonis sliding off the crust and on one side of the box. That didn’t happen. I just kept it slow and steady and didn’t make any sharp turns. Enjoy!

2007 Schwinn Voyageur GSD Review.

2008-03-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

MSRP: $379
Price Paid: $299

8.27.08 Update: I just reached the 500 mile milestone on this bike and I couldn’t be more pleased. The components are holding up and it does a great job in getting me around. It seems like the bike has adapted to me rather than the other way around. The fenders I’ve attached have really kept the bike looking sharp. It seems like dirt and, of course, rain does not run up on the bike if the fenders weren’t there. Thus, it still looks mostly shiny like it did when I first got it. The shifting is still silky smooth and the disc brakes stop very well. At about 250 miles I degreased and lubed the chain. Before that, it was lightly squeaking when I turned the pedal. The lubing eliminated that. You can always “hear” bikes that never had this kind of basic maintenance by the sound they make when riding past you. The bike isn’t that noisy now about 250 miles later so that lube must be pretty good (maybe degreasing/lubing can a future post topic?). It could also be that my chainguard is keeping dirt off the chain and cogs.

Is that a ladies frame/girls bike? Are you wimping out? Wife’s bike, right? Those are the kind of comments I expect to hear from people (but I haven’t heard yet) from my latest commuter. It is a 2007 Schwinn Voyageur.

My counter from the responses above is: No, it’s a U-Framed bicycle. Or I could try, “It’s a unisex frame.” Will those comebacks work? Who knows. As I may have mentioned before, I am short distance commuter (6 miles round trip). And, I commute in work clothes: Nice shirt, slacks, a dress coat or blazer. Not many bikes are sold in this country to accommodate me. The stock bike and the changes I made to this Voyageur make it the perfect commuter for my purposes.

I am evolving as a bicycle commuter. A couple of things happened when I was commuting in my Fuji Crosstown. One, I tore a couple of dress pants when I straddled the Fuji and, two; I got really tired of putting an ankle strap on my pants leg or tucking my right leg pants into my sock. Thus, I had my LBS install an after-market chain guard on this bike (see the review below).

The result: it is my “go-to guy”, everyday commuter. The U-frame makes it easy on my clothing to ride this bike to work. I don’t have to pull my leg over the entire bike to straddle it. On my other bikes, lifting my leg up worried me that I could rip my pants along the crotch area. The chainguard protects my pants and, more importantly, removes my daily chore of adding an ankle strap. I’ve logged about 125 miles on it and here are my impressions:

DISC BRAKES: I really love the disc brakes on this bike (Radius mech 7.0 mechanical discs). This is my first bike with disc brakes and I am thoroughly impressed. They work great when braking in wet conditions. With the exception of the bikes of my youth, which came with coaster brakes, all my adult bikes have had traditional rim brakes. Some rim brakes have been better then others, but all had something in common: squealing. Not with these disc brakes. They stop very well and are quiet when applying them. Because of my experience with this bike, disc brakes will be one of the plus factors that will sway me when comparing features on a future bike.

FRONT FORK: The suspension front fork is not a necessity on this bike in my opinion. Since you don’t really lean into the handlebars like you do on a mountain bike, for example, I don’t think you need this suspension fork. I’ve found the fork helpful when I jump a curb, but I don’t do that too often. I should probably replace it, but since they last a few thousand miles I’m guessing it will be a while.

HANDLEBARS: The bars bend towards you, which contributes to an upright riding style. As I’ve mentioned before, being upright and seeing all around you esp. cars is a key feature in a city/urban commuting bike.

SHIFTERS: I also like the bar twist-type shifters (SRAM ESP 3.0 COMP). I have been riding this bike in the winter with gloves. With winter gloves it is hard to have any dexterity for using those trigger type shifters or the ones where you use your thumbs. The twist kind are perfect for winter riding.

SADDLE: The stock seat is a very good Schwinn comfort-tuned saddle with a dimple in the middle. The Voyageur comes with a suspension seat post, that honestly, I can’t feel it making much of a difference. It has 35mm of travel. My picture shows a Brooks B67, but I am back with the Schwinn comfort tuned one. Everyone raves about Brooks saddles, but maybe I’m too lightweight to benefit from a Brooks (maybe a future posting subject).

TIRES: I was glad to see that this bike came with 700c tires (700cx40). These are the thin type European tires that have less surface contact with the road and are faster than 26” tires that are on most MTBs.

MODIFICATIONS: As you can see I added fenders to it. The fenders are essential for riding in the rain or on just rained on, moist streets. The stock Voyageur does not come with fenders, but the frame has the necessary holes/eyelets for them. The frame has the requisite eyelets for the rear rack and I added a rack to the Voyageur. I also looped 2 hose clamps on the handlebars to hold a very good 2AA LED flashlight to the front. Of course, I have a blinky light hooked up to my back rack.

SUMMARY: All in all, I’m very happy with this Voyageur. I realize that I’ve put on some costly accessories on this bike (esp. the chain guard) and that has affected the bottom line price I paid. However, when you compare the ready-made commuter bikes that are similar to this Voyageur you can see that I’m still below those prices. These bikes are: Breezer Villager ($650 MSRP), Trek T300 ($899 MSRP), and Specialized Globe ($770 MSRP). The math on this Voyageur is like this: Bike ($299) + chainguard ($100) + fenders ($25) + hose clamps/flashlight ($12) + rack ($40) + blinky ($9) = $485.

You CAN outfit a nicely equipped NEW commuter for much less than a brand new one from someone like Breezer, Trek or Specialized.

Mom was right: Scarves do help.

2008-03-03T08:54:00.000-08:00

I posted the following entry at the Bikeforums site (http://www.bikeforums.net/). Thought I'd reproduce it for my blog:

"It wasn't that cold out this morning (upper 20s), but the wind was really whipping up. I think the weather guy said last night that the wind chill would make it feel like the teens. On a lark, I wrapped a beaten Old Navy scarf around my neck that I happened to see at the bottom of my closet. I think it made a great difference. My face didn't seem to grimace as much considering the wind. Also, putting your scarf on seems to immediately flush up your face with warmth."

I got some further pointers from my fellow bike commuters when they responded to my initial post. They ranged from some riders using the scarf to cover your mouth (good idea!), some use a balaclava (sounds expensive!) but is like a full-head on wrap, some use a simple hanky/bandana, and others use a neck gaiter (like a turtle neck without a shirt).

The bad news is that now that I'm getting used to biking in cold weather, the season is ending! One day this week, the temperatures will be in the 60s :(.

A Chainguard: Making Your U.S. Mass Market Bike More Commuter Friendly

2007-12-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

I think that one of the problems that commuting by bike fails to gain so much traction in the U.S. is because most of the bikes sold here are “fun” bikes. Fun in that you have your road bikes that are fast and can make you feel like you’re in the Tour de France. Or fun like those mountain bikes that can absorb the high impact bobbles as you pedal up and down a cliff. However, both these style of bikes leave a bit to be desired for the commuter.

Again, I take you back to the European and Far Eastern bicycling scenes where the majority of bikes you see are sturdy, upright, comfortable and equipped for the types lifestyles, including clothing, of commuters. One of the key aspects of these bikes are chainguards. These serve to protect your pants from getting soiled, caught, maybe ripped by the chain down there. Most U.S. bikes do not have protections for greasy chains. How can I overcome this?

I posed this question to my chums in the bikeforums (http://www.bikeforums.net/) and their overwhelming response was “use ankle straps.” I have some problems with this solution: One, it is a real pain to put these on and off everytime. Two, you tighten the straps too much and they interfere with your cycling; your circulation seems constricted. Three, you attach them loose and they drag down on long rides, sometimes exposing your pants to the chain.

My solution was to install an aftermarket chainguard that could be attached to your basic mass-produced American sold bike. Chainguards do exist for this purpose, but most seem to be for single speed or hub geared bikes where the chain pretty much stays in a static position. For a “triple” bike, a bike that has 3 gear rings up front, there is not much available.

It took me a while to find a product such as this. Again, most were sold for the Far East or European market. I finally found the Hebie 391 chain guard that was advertised to fit a triple front bike. It was pricey. I paid $40 + $15 shipping from the Urbane Cyclist in Toronto. It took me a full month for me to receive this guard (thank you slow Canada Postal Service shipping). Urbane Cyclist is apparently the only supplier that carries the 391 in N. America.

I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be a clip-on thing that I could install, but it wasn’t. As you can see from my pix, you have to remove the crank and loop it next to the bottom bracket. I didn’t have the tools to do this so I took it to my LBS. It fit with no problems. It works fantastic. It is great to be able to get on your bike and go.

With the installation fee that I paid, it almost cost $100 to get this part installed. It shouldn’t be that expensive, but maybe with more people buying this, and economies of scale, prices can drop. I’m sure you can get something like this on your bike for far cheaper in Europe or Japan. I don't live in those countries so this'll have to do.

Found my winter gloves!

2007-11-26T07:38:00.000-08:00

MSRP: $35
Price paid: $12.99

With the mornings (and afternoons) getting gradually colder, I've been engaged in a time-consuming, often fruitless, search for a pair of cold weather gloves that provides the sensitivity needed to handle the brakes and gears of a bike. I'm happy to report that I've found them. They are the 180s Performance Series Terrain gloves (http://www.180s.com/).

I had been using your basic gardening gloves that are made of canvas and have those raised bumps on the palm side. They were good for tactile sensitivity, but not good for keeping your hands warm. The wind seems to go right through them.

Bicycling generates extra wind chill as your body and extremities are exposed to air rushing by you at an extra 10-15 mph (my average commuting speed). Part of my problem is that I don't have a long enough commute that gets me sufficiently warmed up. Other commuters wear layers of clothing (and gloves) that they "peel off" as they get hotter with physical exertion. Not me. By the time I get to the office and start to feel warm and starting to get a workout, I'm there. Still cold.

These 180s work well. They have a gimmick in that you blow air in these little holes (see pix above). I guess the warm blast of air gives you some hot air when your hands need it. I've tried it and it works for just a few seconds. Nothing spectacular. I wouldn't recommend it when you're biking, though. You could take a nasty spill. No matter. These gloves do a fine job repelling the wind. Finally, they have a sticky palm materials that allows you to handle the gears and levers of the bike. They're probably made for skiing.

I got a great deal on these gloves, too. I bought them at a apparel retail place called the Rugged Wearhouse. They are a low-budget Ross or Marshalls discount store. They get closeout stuff from Macy's or other big retail chains. Good luck finding a pair for you.

Arlington, VA to join the ranks of Berlin, Copenhagen, Paris in bike sharing?

2007-10-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

On October 22, I attended a bike sharing presentation by Paul DeMaio, who owns MetroBike LLC, an organization devoted to bike sharing and bike planning. He covered the old experiments in bike sharing where governments/communities would basically make bikes available to the public for free for the purpose of getting around. A lot of these bikes were comfort-type bikes in brightly colored designs. These experiments ended badly with these bikes either being stolen or discarded in a local river or lake.

A proposal that Paul is forwarding is a new “smart” bike sharing system that has been pioneered in European cities where rental bikes are “locked” to a number of locations and are rented, at a very minimal charge, to people typically covering short distances. They are rented with a credit card, or in the case for us here in the Washington DC area, a fare card that is now used on the subway, subway parking lots and buses. Bikes would be for local citizens not tourists.

To me, the most intriguing part of the presentation was the low costs that would be incurred by citizens wanting to borrow a bike. Paul said that bikes would be free to rent for the first ½ hour and $1-2 for additional ½ hour increments. Most of the costs (maintenance, cost of bikes, building stations etc.) would be borne by large media conglomerates presumably to advertise at renting stations or on the bikes themselves.

My hometown, Arlington, VA, will decide whether to establish a pilot program in an upcoming County board meeting. The District of Columbia government is also rolling out a small bike sharing program. I hope the Arlington county government approves it. I am all for more people on bikes. For more information about bike sharing, check out Paul’s bike sharing blog at bike-sharing.blogspot.com.

A Good Affordable Folding Bike: Review of the Dahon Yeah

2007-10-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Pros:
Price, Multiple Gears(!), Quick Fold, Storability, Fenders/Rack included

Cons:
Weight, Uncomfortable seat, Handgrips

MSRP: $219 USD

7.3.08 Update: I have not been riding this bike that much because of the new Brompton and basically riding my other commuting bikes. However, with just over 100 miles logged on, the bottom bracket began making a clicking sound. It sounded like it needed a new BB. I took it to my LBS and he repacked some grease down there and now it's working great. They may come just lightly greased from the factory since I really don't have that many miles on it.

11.26.07 Update: With about 50 miles logged on this bike, the chain cover cracked and fell off when my foot came down on it. I wish Dahon had put on some sturdier plastic (or metal) for this part.

I kinda swore off Dahon products because my first experience with a Dahon Boardwalk was disappointing. But with Dahon/Performance owning up to their mistake (see update below), I decided to give Dahon another chance.

That Dahon Boardwalk had a serious shortcoming in that it was single gear. I live in a hilly area so you really felt it on those inclines. I made a vow to get a multi-gear folder that was also affordable.

As everyone knows, there are all kinds of folding bikes by different manufacturers. The cheaper bikes that I saw (mainly on the internet) do not look safe at all. Their components are substandard and the folding mechanisms look like they could give in riding situations.

Dahon seems to be the only major folding bike manufacturer that produces a good product at an affordable price. Thus, I decided to continue to explore their cheap folder options. Enter the Dahon Yeah.

First, the bike is heavy. It weighs 32 lbs. You could probably shave 2-3 lbs off by taking off the fenders (which are metal) and the rack. This is more of a "storable" folding bike rather than a "portable" one. It is great for putting it in the back of your car/truck or in your closet but not if you want to hand-carry it on the train or public transit. If weight is an issue for you, you'd do better to spend $100-200 more to get an aluminum folder that will usually weigh less than 25 lbs.

This bike is also made of hi-ten (High Tensile) steel. Hi-Ten steel is usually associated with cheap Xmart bikes and is usually heavier. However, hi-ten absorbs bumps well. I've had a lot of hi-ten bikes and they've never cracked or let me down. The hi-ten on this bike gives it a soft bump-absorbing ride.

I was wary of the components, but they are holding up. The Pro Max brakes stop very well. The derailleurs are Shimano and, thus far, shift smoothly and with no issues. The downshift button (see pix) works very well. You have 6 gears and that is plenty for my hilly commute.

Folding it is simple once you get used to it. You can do it in the advertised 12 seconds as Dahon promises. No problems in the latches working and locking with the safety locks

A negative to this bike is the included sprung seat. I've ridden it and it is not as comfortable as it looks. I will replace it as soon as a Selle or a Cite Y saddle goes on sale.

Another negative is the handgrips. They are of the hard rubber variety with no cushioning or raised grooves for tactile feel. I will replace them the first chance I get.

Again, having a folding bike in the back of your car opens up tons riding possibilities when one goes places. Festivals, parks, shopping centers, downtown shopping. I highly recommend adding a folding bike to your stable.

SPECS
Folding size: 32x66x75cm
Folding Time: 12 seconds
Frame: 20”H type, Hi-tensile steel frame, TIG welded w/pivot, Dahon patented ViseGrip latch
Fork: Hi-tensile steel, curved blade, TIG welded w/pivot
Handlepost: Integrated, Dahon patented design, non-adustable with handlebar
Headset: 1 1/8” C P
Saddle: Comfort Black
Seatpost: Super oversize, Steel CP
Seat clamp QR: Dahon patented clamp, alloySilver
Seat post bushing: Aluminum
Brakes: ProMax, Alloy V-Brake front and rear
Brake lever: ProMax, Resin lever with steel insert, black
Front hub: 5/16”x14GX28, steel, CP
Rear hub: 3/8”x14Gx28H, steel, CP
Spokes: 14 G, Steel UCP
Rims: Aluminum, 14G x 28H
Tires: Kenda, K-193, 20”x1.5”, black
Shifter: Shimano SL-TX30-6R
Derailleur: Shimano Tourney
Freewheel: Shimano 6 speed, 14-28T
Casing: 2P black
Crankset: Forged steel, CP, double chain guard
Bottom bracket: 5 piece set with axle
Chain: KMC Z30
Pedals: Suntour, folding
Kickstand: Steel, CP Rear Mounted

(A note about the above specs: Dahon has dozens of models on their site that are variations of their frame models. The above specs are from model # HT060 even though my bike looks more like model HT010C. HT060 was the model # on my box. If you’re interested, these specs can be found at www.dahonlicense.com/spc/ht060spc.htm.)

2007 K2 Easy Street/Shorewood Review

2007-09-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

MSRP: $379
PRICE PAID: $329
First, I was drawn to this bike by the handlebars. The manufacturer, K2, describes them as “swept back.” The handlebars are small and not that wide apart, which I like. With some “cruiser” bikes the handlebars look like you are grappling with the horns of a Texas longhorn steer.

Since I’ve gotten back into bicycling, I’ve really been drawn to the pictures of bicyclists, commuters mostly, from other countries. A lot of them show upright stances when riding their bikes. See this photo diary: http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles. They look so comfortable riding and doing other things like talking on cell phones, eating, riding one-handed, etc.

This will probably not be a commuter bike for me, but rather the weekend bike for tooling around the neighborhood. I've also thought about putting a kid carrier back there to take my 4 year old places.

Why not try finding a European type bike here in the U.S. at an affordable price? One that caught my eye was the K2 Easy Street/Shorewood.

Of course, I wanted to try out one of these for myself. And, I was not content to take it for a short test ride at a LBS. I wanted a long-term test. So I ended up buying one. Boy, what a different experience! If you can imagine pedaling and holding your elbows close in to your ribcage, this is what riding this bike feels like. You are fully upright and taking everything in as you pedal. In all of my bikes, I’ve kind of stood over the handlebars. Not with this bike. You try to arch forward and extend your elbows outward and the bike almost wills you back down. It’s almost a regal, royal-type feeling when riding it. Grey Poupon, anyone? The design of the bike and the handlebars tells you, “Relax…enjoy the ride.” I’d like to eventually do a test between this bike and my D’back to see which one makes you feel less tired after an equal distance ridden. Maybe even a test of which one makes you sweat more.

Second, the seatpost tube is at an angle away from the handlebars (see above pix). Sort of like the leaning Tower of Pisa. This gives you the advantage of giving your legs the full extension forward when pedalling and dropping them when you come to a full stop without having to leave your saddle. I’ve heard that some Electra Townie bikes feature this, but have not really seen one of them.

While the bike does have a front suspension, I don’t think it really needed it. The reason is because your weight is mostly distributed in the saddle. Your hands don’t really push that much on the front handlebar save for steering purposes. The seatpost is a suspension one so you will be comfortable in absorbing road bumps there. Also, the included saddle has back springs for further comfort.

This bike has plenty of gears in case you need to climb some hills. The brakes are spot-on and the shifting is tight. Another positive is the handlebars. The handlebars have two bars on top of each other. Thus, you have plenty of room to add lights, speedometer, pouch bag, extra reflectors, GPS(!), and anything else you can fit on there.

One thing that is surprising about this bike is the weight. I haven’t weighed it, but if feels like it’s under 30lbs. It could even be a smidgen over 25lbs. It must be the aluminum frame. The size of this bike is Medium.

This will be the 3rd bike in my stable. You’ll have to excuse me, my loyal subjects, I will now retire for a refreshing bicycle ride. Adieu!

SPECS:
FRAME Comfort Curve, 6061 aluminum, with replaceable derailleur hanger
FORK Comfort suspension, with aluminum crown
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano C050
REAR DERAILLEUR SRAM 3.0
SHIFTERS SRAM 3.0 twist shifters, indexed front and rear
FREEWHEEL/CASSETTE Seven speed freewheel, 13-34T
CRANKSET SR Suntour XR-170 with chainguard, 24/34/42T
BOTTOM BRACKET Semi-cartridge with bolted spindle
CHAIN KMC Z-51
WHEELSET Alex alloy rims, alloy double-sealed quick-release hubs and 36 spokes per wheel
TIRES Kenda Komfort, 26x2.125"
BRAKES Alloy linear pull
BRAKE LEVERS Alloy comfort levers
HEADSET 1 1/8" threaded
STEM Alloy high-rise
HANDLEBAR Dreamliner Design, with custom bend, rise and sweep
GRIPS Dual-density comfort design
SEATCLAMP Quick-release, aluminum
SEATPOST Suspension, aluminum 300mm long
SADDLE K2 Easy Comfort with coil springs and multi-material cover
PEDALS Comfort platform, with shock-absorbing, non-slip TPE insert
EXTRAS Kickstand, CPSC reflectors and K2 owner's manual
SIZES SM (14-15"), fits 5'3" to 5'6", MD (16-17"), fits 5'6" to 5'10", LG (18-19"), fits 5'10" to 6'1" & XL (20-21"), fits 6'1" to 6'4"

Review of the Dahon Boardwalk S1.

2007-08-23T17:46:00.000-07:00

Price paid: $180

9.18.07 Update: Performance has refunded me the full price of this Boardwalk after numerous complaints about the rear hub. Yipee! I've left the original review for your information.

~~Bottom line: Avoid the Dahon Boardwalk S1 and all Dahon products~~

I’ve been trying to work out problems I’ve had with this bike for a while so I have refrained from posting a review of it. However, my patience has worn out so I will go ahead and do this.
I bought this Dahon Boardwalk folding bike because I am bike nut and wanted to take a bike with me in areas that are traditionally closed to bikes. Examples of this are festivals, road trips in a small car, airplane trips etc. I had never owned or ridden a folding bike. When I first got the bike, I was very excited about it. It folded great, was very sturdy (steel frame) and really felt like a bike when you rode it.

I probably rode this bike about 10 miles when a grinding noise began to come out of the rear hub. I was always taught that when your bike makes any kind of out of the ordinary noise you have to take care of it or you may have a problem later on.

When you hear the chain rubbing against something when you turn the crank, for example, you’ve got to make adjustments so that this doesn’t reoccur. The chain is going to be worn down prematurely and you’ll end up replacing it much earlier than you should. I’ve known guys, who say, "Let it grind itself down till it doesn’t make anymore noise." That’s probably the worst thing you can do.

Anyway, I took this bike to the LBS (Performance Bike) where I bought it to have them check it out. They told me that the grinding was being caused by the rear coaster brake rubbing against something internally. I should keep engaging the brakes to work out the noise. They gave me the option of replacing the wheel, but at my expense. I rode the bike some more and the noise still lingered. I was disappointed in this because I thought that the warranty (1 year) should cover this kind of problem.

I emailed Dahon and told them my situation. Well, I didn’t hear back from them. Two weeks later I emailed them again. A day later a technical rep from Dahon, Rick Fair, responded saying that the 3 speed hub on my bike was noisy. Guess what, this Dahon doesn’t have a 3 speed hub, it’s a single speed. I replied to him about this and as of today (about 2 weeks ago), I have not heard back.

Based on the above experience I cannot recommend this Dahon bike or any Dahon product. When you buy a used bike, you expect to have mechanical issues and to deal with them. Not with a new product, though. That’s the reason you go to an LBS, pay "new" bike prices and expect any mechanical issues to be adressed. If Dahon doesn’t stand behind this product, I can’t give it my endorsement.

2006 Fuji Crosstown 2.0 Review

2007-08-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Pros: Plush comfortable ride. Fenders. Yes, suspension fork.
Cons: twist shifters take up handlebar space

Ok, I was prepared to dislike this bike because of the front suspension fork. After all, everyone pans front suspension forks because they slow you down, are heavy, and are prone to early replacement. It turns out I really like this bicycle. What gives? I'm either getting too old or going super fast is not what I'm all about anymore.

First, the suspension fork is really great to take those undulations and grooves of the road. It has a 40mm travel, which could be better, like 50mm but it's ok. All of us commuters know that urban asphalt has all kinds of obstructions like mini hole covers, warped grooves and other assorted hazards that a rider must get ready to absorb or even avoid. The suspension fork nullifies a lot of those hazards. Oh, here comes mini asphalt wave…No worries, just take it; you probably won't feel it. The suspension seat post also absorbs those hazards in your seat area.

I do admit that the suspension fork does add weight, but nothing too dramatic maybe 2-3 pounds vs. a standard front fork. I guess it does slow you down some, but for the city riding that you do with this Fuji, it should be minimal. I don't like to "peel out" from a stoplight, for example. I like to let cars make all the first moves. This fork is also "lockable" which means that you can make it a stiff standard fork by turning 2 screws in the fork.

One thing that was weird about the front suspension fork was braking. I brake by pulling both the front and rear brakes simultaneously. When braking, the front fork pulls you down, which takes some getting used to, at least when braking hard. It feels like going down a curb. As you know, the front brake does most of the work when braking in a bicycle. As for durability of the front fork, I won't be doing a long-term test since I borrowed this bike, but I will post an update if this front fork ever needs to be replaced.

Second, this bike makes you take a great upright riding position. This is excellent for city riding. Riding it feels like using a unicycle, but with handlebars. The handlebars are also adjustable to make them higher or lower depending on your preference. For a lot of bikes, you have to buy a high-rise stem if you wanted to make handlebars higher.

A positive aspect of this bike is the fenders. I love fenders. They are great for the rain and those post-rain surfaces. I dress up (usually polo shirt and khakis) when commuting and nothing ruins your day like a skunk stripe in the back of your shirt or mud stains on the front. The fenders on this bike never clinked or clanged. Anyone who has ever put aftermarket fenders on a bike, esp. one with suspension, can tell you how hard it is. Good job, Fuji. Fenders should be standard equipment on all commuter bikes.

The thin 700 tires also mean that this bike can go fast. It takes effort to push those wide 26" tires. With these thin Kendas you can really pick up speed.

The twist shifters (SRAM MRX) are very responsive. The only gripe I have is that they take real estate from your grips. With the shifters being so responsive, I’m always wary that having my hands too close to the rear derailleur shifter. I may drop a gear. Come on, Fuji, give us some longer handlebar grips.

In sum, this is an excellent bike if you will be doing short commutes, less that 7 miles round trip, or short rides around town. This bike gives you a sweet, comfortable ride. If you want the Donald Trump-mega comfort ride, give both tires the minimum recommended PSI (I think it's 60). You'll think you're on a light beach cruiser:).

FRAMESET
Sizes: 15", 17", 19", 21", 23"
Color(s): Forest Green
Main frame: Fuji Altair 1 aluminum with double water bottle mounts
Rear triangle: Fuji Altair 1 aluminum, rack mounts, replaceable derailleur hanger
Fork: Fuji Comfort Suspension 40mm travel w/Preload, Made by Zoom
DRIVETRAIN
Crankset: SR/Suntour XCC-100 forged aluminum crank, 28/38/48T with chainguard
Bottom bracket: Cup and ball w/replaceable bearings
Pedals: Wellgo Hybrid w/Kraton no slip inserts
Front derailleur: SR Suntour XR-05, 31.8mm
Rear derailleur: Shimano Altus MegaRange
Shifters: SRAM MRX, 24 speed twist shift
Cassette/freewheel: SRAM PG-830, 11/32T 8-speed
Chain: KMC Z-72
WHEELSET
Front hub: Formula sealed forged aluminum, Silver, 36H, Q/R
Rear hub: Formula sealed forged aluminum, Silver, 36H, Q/R
Spokes: Stainless Steel, 14g
Rims: Alex aluminum, Z-1000, 36H
Tires: Kenda, K-934 Hybrid, 700 x 35c
Tubes: Kenda
FEATURES
Tape/grip Kraton rubber to match shifter
Saddle Fuji Comfort Hybrid, Men's/Ladies specific
Seat post: Fuji alloy suspension, 300mm
Seat clamp: Fuji aluminum 31.8mm Quick Release
Complete Bike Weight, lb./kg.: 30.6 lbs / 13.88 kg
Brake set: ProMax aluminum linear pull with front modulator
Brake levers: ProMax comfort alloy with Kraton grip insert
Headset: Fuji Trekking, 1 1/8", Sealed
Handlebar: Fuji aluminum riser
Stem: Fuji Trekking Alloy, Adjustable angle, removable clamp

Keys, Helmet, Wallet…Framer’s Gloves?

2007-07-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Price Paid: $7.49

I have some padded grips on one of my bikes that are great when riding without gloves. The grips are soft and spongy. However, I’ve taken a few spills in my day and the palms take the brunt of the impact when falling esp. on concrete/asphalt. I am always wary of not wearing my gloves when riding this bike because this could be the day I take a tumble. Kinda like I feel when I don’t wear a helmet.

I looked for some gloves at my LBS and all of them were padded. Having double padding (on the glove and on the grips) was overkill in my opinion. I thought that there was a genuine need for gloves with no padding and wondered why LBS’ don’t carry them.

On a lark, I went to a locally owned hardware store to look at worker leather or even gardening gloves that could have worked. I figured that with the leather gloves I could cut the fingers and have a good protective glove. I didn’t find the leather gloves all that comfortable and made the back of my hands itch. The gardening gloves were good, but I didn’t think the canvas would protect my hands enough. That canvas on these felt too much like fabric.

As I was browsing I came upon these “framers gloves”. They have 3 exposed fingers (thumb, index finger, middle finger). These three fingers are the ones I use for shifting and hitting the brakes. I guess they’re for drywallers and carpenters that need to have these fingers exposed to hammer nails, etc. Perfect! They have no padding, except for an extra layer of polyurethane on the palm. The finger cut outs are reinforced with stitching so they will be durable. The top side of the thumb also has terry cloth to wipe away sweat from your brow (just like bicycle gloves). The only drawback is that the leather on the palm side is synthetic leather. It feels solid, but I’ll find out when (if?) I take a spill if they offer good protection.

2007 Diamondback Transporter Review.

2007-07-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

MSRP: $449
Price paid: $399

Diamondback advertises their Transporter as "rugged and reliable urban utility and transportation" It is a solidly built, versatile steel bike that does the job well.

First, the bike geometry is like that of a mountain bike. You still ride upright, but you have to take a slight forward stance as you ride. Contrast this to other commuter bikes that you take more of an upright stance with the handlebars closer to the rider (examples: Novarra transfer and the Fuji kyoto series.) At the other end of the spectrum are the road bikes (or "ten-speeds") which you mainly ride by slumping over the handlebars to reach the brakes and gear shifters.

In addition, the sizes of this Transporter may run a little big. I usually get fitted with a medium-sized bike or a 19 inch bike. However, I ended up purchasing a Small in the Transporter. The top tube is longer than usual. I rode the Medium Transporter and found myself stretching to reach the handlebars. Bottom line: test ride the bike out to see if it fits good for you.

Second, the 26 inch wheels in the Transporter are smaller than commuter bike wheels, which tend to be around 700mm. In my opinion, for urban street riders, the smaller wheel allows one to quickly evade obstructions in road like potholes, small steel grates or grooves, which can interfere with your ride or even drop you off your bike. I’ve ridden road bikes and commuters and find the large wheels make it slightly harder to turn or evade a small road obstruction at a moments notice. These wheels are also wider (1.6 inches) so they handle curb jumping and other urban type maneuvers better than thin 700mm tires.

Frame: There has been plenty of debate between steel vs. aluminum framed bikes. It seems like the consensus is that both steel and aluminum are equally comfortable. I don’t agree. I am firmly in the camp that steel is more comfortable for most types of riding. This bike has a cro-moly (steel) frame that takes the urban road well. I can feel it "give" as you go through the undulations of the road. I am not a heavy rider either (5’7" 170lbs). I guess a lot of bikes are now being made of aluminum because steel tends to rust. While aluminum may be slightly more expensive than steel, warranty replacement costs will be lower with aluminum (longer life).

If there is something that I disliked on this bike, it is the choice of tire. Diamondback outfitted this bike with WTB tyrannosaurus tires (see right). These are MTB (mountain bike) type tires that are slightly knobby and are good for light dirt type trails. This is fine if you ride a mix of urban and dirt trails, but I suspect most people will buy this bike for urban/asphalt riding. The knobby tires slow you down as you ride and give the bike a "heavy" feeling because of the greater contact they make with concrete/asphalt surfaces. I plan to swap out these tires and install more city slick (smooth) tires. These offer better rolling resistance and should make this bike go faster.

Another good aspect of this bike is the components, esp. the shift levers (Shimano Alivio Rapid-Fire 8-spd Shifters ). I bought this bike at Sports Authority so I was wary of the assembling of this bike. Sports Authority is not a professional bike shop so one should assume that the bikes are put together by regular employees. However, they did a good job. I had no problems shifting gears and the brakes were tight and spot on.

Two other positives: This Diamondback Transporter includes fenders and flared mudflaps. This is great for riding in the rain or when the street is moist after a good downpour. Also a plus: Mounting screws for front and rear racks and mounting screws for water bottle cages (fits 2 cages).

The color of the bike, which is a plain jane dark grey, is perfect for this bike. I plan to use this as a commuter as well as for taking trips to the grocery store or mall. I will lock up the bike with a thin plastic coated lightweight bike cable. The color is a big deterrent to thefts as many bike thieves like to take the flashiest red or yellow bright-colored bikes.

This bike does not have front suspension, which seems very common on most bikes nowadays. This is a positive for this bike in that front suspension can slow you down when you "take off" from a standing position. Urban bikers know that oftentimes they must quickly accelerate at a stop light as cars are behind you. Front suspension forks tend to be heavier and that adds weight to the bike. On the other side of the coin, urban riding includes potholes, undulations and other assorted asphalt characteristics. Front suspension can absorb some of these shocks giving the rider a more comfortable ride.

Minor quibbles. The following are some factors that, while did not sway away from buying this bike, could be important to you:

Saddle: Diamondback includes a narrow gel type saddle. I am a big fan of Cite Y saddle so I immediately swapped out the stock saddle for my Cite Y. Since the stock saddle is kind of narrow, this could be problem since you tend to take an upright stance when riding the Transporter. If you use padded shorts, this saddle would not be a problem. However, most commuters I know wear jeans or slacks when going to work. You WILL feel the bumps when you wear regular pants or shorts in this saddle. You need a wider, padded or sprung seat for more comfort.

Chain cover: This bike has no chain guard or at least a circular disk that covers the front cog wheel. Even some cheap walmart MTBs have these disks. Again, if you commute to work, you tend to wear loose khakis or dress pants. Often these will get caught in the front large crank wheel and they will be ripped and/or stained and perhaps ruined. I swapped one of these disks from an old MTB that I had lying around to fix this. (See pix above).

Specs (from manufacturer)
Sizes: SM (16"), MD (18"), LG (20")
Color: Dark Grey
Frame: DB Double Butted Cromoly Commuter w/fender/rack mounts, H20 Bottle Mounts
Headset: Ahead 1 1/8"
Bottom Bracket: Sealed Cartridge
F. Derailleur: Shimano C051
R. Derailleur: Shimano Alivio
Shift Lever: Alivio Rapidfire 8spd Pods
Cog Set: SRAM PG-830 8spd Cassette (11-32t)
Chain: KMC-Z51
Hubset: (F) 32h Alloy Sealed Bearing R 32h Alloy Sealed Bearing Cassette
Spokes: Black 14g Stainless Steel
Rims: 32h Weinmann XTB-26 Double Wall
Tires: WTB All Terrainasaurus 26x1.6
Brakes: Tektro alloy linear
Brake Levers: Tektro 3-Finger
Pedals: Alloy Cage
Handlebar: Steel riser
Grips: New Avenir ERGO 3-D Comfort
Stem: Alloy 4-bolt Ahead, Alloy
Seatpost: Alloy Micro adjust 27.2mm
Saddle: DB Gel Road, Double Density Base w/Comfort Gel Boost
Extras: Bell, clear coat, owner’s manual, H20 Bottle mounts